Anyone But Me
by SlytherClawLuv
Summary: "Would you like to play a game?" These were the words that started Hermione on a journey she never could have imagined. Rated M for a REASON. Read the Author's Note before starting! Dark Themes & Explicit Language/Content will happen in later chapters. Dramione. Starts during THP. Slow Burn. Disclaimer: J.K.R. owns everything!
1. Author's Note

Hello There Dear Reader!

I just wanted to take a moment of your time to explain some things about my story to you before you start. That way you are not wasting your time reading something you will end up not liking.

First and foremost... This is a Dramione fic. If you do not like this pairing, you will not want to read this one. Sorry!

I am going to try to keep to the timeline set out in the books as much as possible-at least to start out with. Who knows where it could end up later on down the line. But for now... Cannon(ish) Timeline! The story starts a week before Slughorn's Christmas party in The Halfblood Prince. There will be A/U elements and twisting of scenes from the originals to make them fit. You have been warned.

Eventually the M rating will be earned. Not right away, but it will happen. I plan to touch on some very dark subject matter including; emotional and physical abuse, murder, torture, self-harm and depression. I am not limiting myself to just those subjects. If I feel like the story needs it, I will add it. This has been your trigger warning. I will not repeat it before a disturbing chapter.

I am not planning on writing a how-to guide on any of the things listed above. Abuse, murder, depression and so on were all subjects that were touched on in J.K. Rowling's original works. It should not come as a shock that I will do the same.

Depression and anxiety will be more of the focus and major players in this story. It is something I find to be a natural response to the current circumstances going on in the characters' lives. Self-harm and suicidal thoughts will be referenced. This does not mean that they will be glorified. If anything, I hope, as the story continues to share the message that asking for help in those instances is not something that is shameful or bad.

Any murder or torture that come up will be done in a similar fashion to J.K. Rowling's work-more along the lines of "Crucio" and The Killing Curse than explaining how to cut off digits or anything like that. If you are looking for descriptive torture scenes between characters, again, not the story for you. The only scene that I am planning (as of right now, again subject to change) is the torture between Bellatrix and Hermione, but that will not be for a long while...

The abuse that will be touched on will revolve around Hermione being bullied and Draco's home life. This should not come as a complete shock to anyone who has read the books or even watched the movies. Draco has grown up/is growing up in a very dark world. Things are not going to be sunshine and rainbows for our boy.

Lemons will be happening, but I don't have any plans for straight out erotica. Kissing and heavy petting scenes will be posted but anything beyond that will not be included here. Archive of Our Own has the explicit version if you are interested in more descriptive scenes. You can find the story under the same Title and Author's Name. I have no plans to change the storyline between the two sites. Just the naughty bits. ;) So if that is not your cup of tea you don't need to read over there because you are worried about missing anything important. I will make sure that does not happen.

If anything that I listed above rubs you the wrong way, you should just turn back now. Find something you will enjoy. That is the wonderful thing about this site-there is a little something for everyone.

With all that out the way, I just want to say...

Thank you for giving my fic a chance. This is my first story EVER. I am super nervous to be putting it out there and hope it gets a decent reception. I encourage constructive reviews! If you see a way I could make the story better or something I should fix, please tell me. With that said there is a difference between giving helpful advice and just being rude. Use your own discretion before posting, please.

Also, don't hesitate to let me know where you see the story heading. I love hearing what people are thinking and who knows... I might be able to work it in if I like your idea!

My plan is to have a new chapter for you once a week! I recently started a new schedule of posting on Fridays after a long hiatus. Hopefully this will help with burnout and I do not suffer from that dreaded writer's block.

I, of course, own nothing. J.K. Rowling is the Queen who started this whole mess, lol! I have taken liberties with her universe and characters. I will receive no compensation for the time spent on this fic. Only the warm fuzzies of knowing someone else took the time to read my work.

Anyways...

I hope you enjoy and I will let you get to reading what you really came here for!

Much love,  
SlytherclawLuv


	2. Chapter One

To Hades with them!

Those two spoiled rotten gits thought that she was "unfun". That was a direct quote! Ron and Harry had the audacity to say she didn't know how to let loose. No, no, no Hermione - _frickin'_ \- Granger couldn't possibly want a night off! They hadn't let up. Even after she had expressed interest in going to the ridiculous party!

Hermione stood in the waning light peeking through the tower window. Most of the bottom panes had been covered during the last snow storm but the tops still allowed enough light to see by during the day and evenings. She watched the dust motes catch the dying rays and twinkle like glitter. Her mind quickly wandered back to hearing the Seventh Year Ravenclaw girls giggling about it in the bathroom between classes.

Latisha Randle and Daisy Corran had prattled on about which "exemplary students" from each house would be there. What they had chosen to wear (if their ramblings were anything to go by, their outfits would be showing off most of their erm... "exemplary assets"). And most importantly, at least to them, was why the wizard hosting this party, Cassius Warrington, had personally invited them. Hermione had taken her time washing up and gained some other useful information, like which room was being used tonight.

Everyone in school had heard of these parties. They were usually hosted by one of the Slytherin House's Seventh Years. Hosting consisted of smuggling in their parents' booze from home and inviting the most popular students. Fifth Years and up were the only ones allowed to attend. It was intended as a break from the life of O.W.L.s and N.E.W.T.s preparation for the Fifth and Seventh Years (and it would be rather weird to just leave the Sixth Years out of the festivities). Under the guise of "building connections" for life outside of school, the crème de la crème of each Hogwarts House found and charmed an empty classroom for a single night each month. Building connections being the more proper term for hooking up... And hoping they didn't regret their drunken actions in the morning...

The Professors and Headmaster never caught them. Or more than likely, realized that the students needed the outlet and let the nights of debauchery continue.

Hermione had never been invited. Neither had Harry or Ron for that matter. That didn't stop them from having a go at her about wanting to be invited. It would be nice to have one night where she could metaphorically let her hair down. Let go and just be a part of the "in" crowd for once. Those two horrible boys would never admit it but she knew they felt the same way. Their sneers a couple of months back showed unvoiced feelings when the three of them had overheard the Slytherin in charge of October's soirée bragging about the multiple bottles of fifty-year-old firewhiskey he was able to snag. Jealousy at being excluded from the event radiated from their bodies.

Last year they had often wondered aloud why they were never invited. She knew the reason why though. Besides being obvious "snitching" risks from Harry's relationship with Dumbledore... No one wanted the Headmaster interrupting their good time... They were tainted by Harry's outbursts about Voldermort being back. It had not been worth the risk of inviting them and having a repeat of an afternoon stuck in Umbridge's Defense Against The Dark Arts class, having to listen to Harry argue that HE was very much alive and gaining more followers to his cause every day. That would, without a doubt, be the biggest buzzkill...

A sigh pushed it's way from her lungs before she took out and slammed the books she needed to start her essay for Ancient Runes onto the common room table. Some strands of her wild curly hair were caught in the rush of air before they drifted back to tickle her forehead. She quickly sat in the worn deep brown leather chair directly in front of the oversized stack. This was her favorite spot in the whole common room to do her homework. Harry and Ron preferred to lounge on the floor by the fire but she enjoyed the anonymity of this little alcove, she was able to people watch when she grew bored and most of the time no one even noticed she was there.

Instead of opening any of the literature she leaned back and reverted to one of her normal soothing "ticks" as her mother liked to call them. She held the barrel of her quill tightly in a pinch with her right hand while the fingers of her left ran gently along the soft feathered body. For some reason the rhythmic motion helped to center her and she kept it up as she continued her inner monologue. Going over her conversation with the "Fun Judges" earlier...

 **-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-**

"Why does it even matter 'Mione?" Ron had asked her out the side of his already full moth as he kept an eye on the entrance to make sure his new girlfriend wouldn't spot him in her presence. Gods Forbid!

"What do you mean?"

"Well... You know... It's not exactly your sort of scene is it?" Harry asked quirking an eyebrow as if the absurdity of Hermione wanting to go and get knockered should be evident. Her pride had flared and she found herself wondering if that was a face that James, his father, had made to his friends. And if they ever found themselves having to restrain themselves from pelting him too... If so, in that moment, it was quandary how Remus, Sirius, Lily and all the other members of the Order had put up with him.

" _My_ sort of scene? Since none of us have ever actually gone to one I highly doubt we know if it is my sort of scene." She hissed, the tone surprised all of them and she quickly moderated her temper before she continued on. "And isn't that the point. It would be nice to go. Just once. I mean Fred and George seemed to enjoy themselves last year after their firework stunt."

Ron snorted and she had glared over at him. Looking sheepish he responded "Well yeah... They enjoyed themselves. If you believe them it was the best night of their lives. Sneakin' back in and partin' it up was all they could talk about for months. But you never drink. You don't even like any of prats that are goin', which means you won't be snoggin' anyone. So what are you gonna do? Lecture everyone on the merits of drinkin' a large glass of water before bed to reduce that chance of a hangover? It's not your scene and you know it."

"He is right Hermione." Harry had interrupted, seeing the challenge that flashed in her eyes. "Besides, we would just hang out in the corner, by ourselves. No one would talk to us, like always... We really need to get our Potions essay done tonight anyways."

Poor Harry was just trying to defuse the situation but she shivered at the anger that sparked even higher and quickly swept up her spine. "My essay has been done for days now and I have much better things to do with my time than have you two copy my homework! Maybe the next time you waste your time playing wizarding chess you will remember this."

It was just like them to do something like this. She had even told Harry that they were going to wait until the last minute and then expect her to do most of the work. Usually it did not bother her. She'd scheduled specific times to be able to go over their essays or practice spellwork with them. But tonight was not the night to mess with her. She already felt snubbed by the student body. She didn't need her friends telling her what was wrong with her and then expecting her to fall in line and help them with an essay. Especially not when one of them wasn't even "allowed" around her...

"Wh...What? You're honestly not gonna help us? I mean... Harry? All because we like to take some time off and play wizarding chess every once an' awhile? That is so... so... unfun of you Hermione!" Ron whined at her.

"Yes... Yes! That is _exactly_ what I am going to do Ronald Weasley. If that makes me "unfun" then so be it!" She whispered furiously at him, afraid that if she tried to talk any louder she would shout and everyone in the Great Hall would stare. She did not need to cause a scene over Ron and Harry being wankers. The shocked looks on their faces only riled her more and she had to fight back the urge to hex her two best friends.

They had hit a nerve. That was the real reason... The reason she was never invited to those stupid parties. She was "unfun". Everyone thought she was a dud...

She was the one you went to when you wanted to know where to find a book in the library if Madam Pince was otherwise disposed. She knew at what temperature to add the Aconite in a Wolfsbane Potion. Or the specific hand gesture to get the most out an Aqua Eructo Charm. She was the brightest witch of their age after all! Something she usually took extreme pride in. But the girl to call on for a night of drinking? Definitely not.

She stood up quickly from the table and picked up her heavy bag, slinging it over her shoulder, their looks of shock changed to ones of horror. They realized that she was dead serious. She wasn't going to help either of them. After a few seconds Harry's recognition that her feelings had been hurt flitted across his features right before she turned and stomped out of the Great Hall...

 **-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-**

Hermione snorted at her theatrics. The walk up to the Gryffindor common room had calmed her anger back to that feeling of challenge at Harry and Ron's words. No one in this school, including her own friends, thought she was anything more than a Miss Priss. That she never needed a break from the incessant mothering she felt obligated to give to those ungrateful jerks. Oh no, she couldn't possibly want to take shots of firewhiskey and forget that they all were headed to war. Soon... All too soon.

She stared up at the window unable to bring herself to concentrate on the task before her. It was the perfect atmosphere to get it done. The common room was surprisingly empty for that time of night. Normally there was at least three or four friend groups sitting around either talking or working on homework and a few couples could be found snuggled up on one of the couches or chairs. Yet there was only one group of Second Years practicing their wandwork for Transfiguration and a lone Fourth Year girl who was curled up with a book by the fire.

Suddenly an idea sprung into her mind and she set down her quill. A slow smirk stretched across her lips.

She would show them.

She would show them all...


	3. Chapter Two

"Help me!" Hermione whispered into Ginny's ear just as she realized someone was leaning over her shoulder. She had been seated crosslegged, leaning over a scroll and practicing the wandwork for an Inimicum Charm when she had snuck up on her.

"What? What's wrong?" Ginny whispered back. The other girl's bright caramel colored eyes took in the tense set of Hermione's shoulders but the realization that it wasn't anything catastrophic caused her own to relax slightly.

"I... I... Ummmm..." Hermione stammered, almost chickening out. Ginny gave her the time she needed to collect her thoughts. It was something she had always appreciated about the witch. While Ron and Harry would badger, Ginny would sit back and wait until she was ready.

She was afraid that Ginny would laugh her request off. Why should she be any different than anyone else at Hogwarts? Would she believe that she had the guts to actually go through with it?

No! Ginny was always surprising her. And if there was one thing Hermione knew, it was that she could trust Ginerva Weasley. She was the only person on this planet that she didn't have secrets with. She knew of Ginny's crush on Harry and Ginny knew of hers on Ron. Granted she didn't understand it and if Hermione was honest with herself; she didn't either. Especially with the way he treated her sometimes, like earlier, saying something hurtful and not even realizing how badly it would sting. And now the whole Lavender thing had driven the wedge further between them causing damage she wasn't sure could ever be fully repaired.

She squared her shoulders and quickly rushed out with it...

"I need your help, obviously... Help with _Operation Dazzle_."

A huge smile crossed the red head's glossed lip and an impish gleam shown in her eye as she jumped up from the bed with a new found enthusiasm.

"It's about damn time!"

 **-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-**

Her tongue felt like sandpaper rubbing against the top of her mouth. She had really done it this time. She had not thought this through! Why hadn't Ginny stopped her instead of giddily sending her on her way?! Damn that blasted girl!

Hermione heard some muffled laughter farther down the hall. She hesitated, she couldn't stand out here any longer. It was time to either summon her Gryffindor courage or run back to her bed. Which was it going to be? Were Harry and Ron right? The thought of them caused her nerves to jump into overdrive. She couldn't go running back to the common room. Especially looking like she did. If they were not already up there, someone would tell them, and then they would know the horrible truth of the matter. She really was a chicken. Not the badass lioness she dreamt herself to be.

She took a deep breath allowing her lungs to slowly expand and then release before she reached up to adjust one of the curls that had fallen from her updo. Thank the lucky stars that Cassius had decided to have a theme. A Masquerade Ball. No one would know if she made an absolute fool of herself, the mask situated on her face was supposed to guarantee that.

Hopefully...

She still wasn't one hundred percent sold on the outfit Ginny magicked up for her. The girl wasn't very happy with her when she had told her as much, but beggars couldn't be choosers. So there she was; standing in a dark, cold, dingy corridor deep in the basements. On the brink of walking into an abandoned classroom in a dress her Mother would imply made her look like a "fallen woman". Fallen Woman or not she needed to do this.

She had to prove she wasn't _just_ a Good Girl Prefect who could never do wrong. She was just like every other seventeen year old. Deep down she craved things just like her peers. Things that she rarely admitted, even to herself. Like love, irresponsibility and most of all... Acceptance. She wanted to be let in on the jokes instead of always feeling like they were about her.

Hermione had always been the butt of the joke. Endlessly tormented over things she could not control... Her parentage, her intelligence, her hair, her teeth, her skin color, sometimes even her clothing. And things that she could, like her smugness when she was right, the way she mothered her friends, how she was always one of the first students with their hand in the air...

Oh yes, she brought some of it on herself. She could never refute that but to be disregarded by so many in the school, including her closest friends, hurt terribly. If she was being completely honest with herself she really did understand. When had she ever shown anything but disdain for the parties they never got invited to? Using her own anger at the repeated snubs as armor, Hermione had succeeded at convincing her friends that they shouldn't care. It was all just drunken idiocy that would ultimately lead to severe consequences. So even if they did receive an invite they would, of course, decline.

Tonight she was going to prove she could be brave without someone there to hold her hand. She did not need Harry or Ron to be there in case something went wrong. She really was smart, clever, beautiful and daring! Just like Ginny told her in the pep talk before sending her out the door with a naughty wink and a "Have fun!"

She knew that she looked just as good as she did at the Yule Ball. If not better... Depending on what your definition of better was... This time it had nothing to do with propriety. Under Ginny's hands, Hermione had been transformed from the figurative "Ugly Duckling" into a sexy seductress. She had never thought she could look even close to the way she did.

A literal gasp had been wrung from her when she was finally allowed to look at herself in the mirror. The dress was a deep jett black. It's top was made of velvet, long sleeved and hugged every single one of her curves. The front was modest in coverage. Even her collarbone was covered, but the way the material clung to her body left little to the imagination. This was a demand from her. She preferred to keep her shirts on the modest side since she was hit with that curse in the Ministry. A constant reminder of the fear and death that night, she did everything she could to keep the scar covered. A deep V cutout in the back plunged down, almost revealing her buttocks but not quite... Tulle flowed out at her hips and cascaded down to the floor brushing the borrowed glittery heels.

Ginny had charmed her curls into submission with a spell Hermione had to remember for future use. The messy top knot hairstyle allowed for the stray curls that refused to obey to add to the look instead of detract. It was a style that she could never replicate on her own without coming out looking like she had just woken up. Her make up was more on the subdued side. Natural but enhancing.

The whole look was a calculated move on Ginny's part. While calling attention to her better assets it allowed for the mask to be the center of attention. It was the only piece that Hermione had added to the look. Her Father had boughten it for her on one of their famous family vacations. On the smaller side, the bottom outlined her cheekbones and wrapped up, meeting at the bridge of her nose. The top went directly across the middle of her forehead and the two ends met on a soft curve near her temples. Midnight blue satin caused her cinnamon brown eyes to pop. The albino peacock feathers with their tips dyed black had been staggered on the right side. Simple, but striking.

She was striking. There was no other word for it.

Suddenly the muffled laughter turned raucous and echoed down the hall, interrupting Hermione's thoughts. She was pushed into action. She would not be caught standing there like a simpleton by whoever was coming. It really was now or never. She could run away. Or face her fears of alienation head on.

With a steady hand, she reached out and pulled the heavy door open before she stepped into a room much warmer than she had expected...


	4. Chapter Three

It took a couple of seconds for her eyes to adjust to the glow from the candles after spending so long in darkness. Hundreds of candles floated near the ceiling, suspended in the air using the same spell as in the Great Hall. Hermione thought the room must have been used for dueling practice at one point but had been abandoned when the lessons were moved elsewhere. What should have felt cold and gross from neglect was transformed into a warm and welcoming lounge area.

Around the edges of the room there were antique chairs and couches gathered into groups, an allowance for more private conversations to take place. Many of which were occupied by bodies. A long walnut wood table with an intricate swirl design carved into the legs was stationed in the middle of the room, filled to the brim with delicacies (of both the food and alcoholic varieties). On the far end of the room a makeshift dance floor was situated with a few couples dancing to a slow song by Snidget that seemed to come from nowhere.

The forty or so people were dispersed across the room in small cliques. Every single one was dressed to the nines. Hermione now wondered if they had miscalculated with her dress. All of the other girls were not nearly as covered. Many dresses had plunging necklines that showed off the roundness of their owner's perky breasts and enhanced cleavage. Some even had cutouts at the sides allowing a full view of just under their breasts all the way down to their hip bones. The percentage of fabric on the female student body as a whole was far lower than the exposed skin. She worried she looked matronly compared to them.

The boys weren't to be outdone. The majority had decided to wear tuxes worn under dress robes. A few went more casual with suits. Their collared shirts were left halfway unbuttoned allowing for peaks of their sculpted chests. On each face rested a mask, it was disorientating not knowing who she was looking at. Each adornment was unique. Some were extremely detailed and must have a cost a small fortune. Others looked as if they came from Muggle Costume Shops. For all Hermione knew they could have...

She took another deep breath to gather her courage. Her mind spun at the realization that almost everyone had turned and were openly staring at her entrance. There was no way any of them could know it was her at first sight. She knew that logically. So then why did her stomach scream at her to leave?

Hermione reminded herself of Sir Francis Bacon's words "Nothing is terrible except fear itself." and took a slow careful step towards the table of refreshments. She knew if she tripped now there would be no doubt of who was under the beautiful mask that adorned her brow. Her pace was leisurely and did not betray how her heart fluttered under her breast on her way over.

As she stepped up to the table she risked a glance around the room. Everyone had turned back to their conversations, drinks or date. One unfortunate soul who had already imbibed too much was passed out in the corner. She hoped he had friends who would come and help him to his bed. Preferably before some prankster got ahold of him.

Although Madam Pomfrey had made sure everyone survived Fred and George. He should be safe... No one she knew could be quite as dastardly as those two. She chuckled under her breath remembering how many fellow students she had to help to the Infirmary after ingesting something meant to eventually hit the shelves at Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes. They all had ended up right as rain but some had not been lucky enough to escape hours of listening to the twins' bad self deprecating jokes of remorse to get there when the antidote didn't react as expected.

"What exactly is so amusing?" a decidedly male voice gruffly whispered in her ear. He was so close she felt his hot breath on her neck and ear, causing her to jump about six inches in the air. To add insult to injury she knocked over a large mug of butterbeer. The caramel colored liquid spilled across the wood, snaking its way around the bottoms of other glasses.

"Oh shoot!... _Scourgify_!" Hermione whispered with a flick of her wand that seconds before was hidden in the waistband of her dress. She hoped no one else had seen. She could be such a klutz sometimes! Neville was always bullied for it, mostly because the consequences to his mess-ups with usually dire, but it seemed like she was always saying or doing something embarrassing when she wasn't paying attention.

She turned around quickly to discover the owner of the voice while she slipped her wand back into its rightful place at her hip. He was still close behind her and there was barely enough room between them for the fullness of her skirt. She felt how the bottom edges swished against his legs from her movement. The first thing her eyes focused on was the broad chest directly in front of her. It was a magnificent specimen, even completely covered by the emerald green dress shirt buttoned tightly up to his dark throat. The shirt, along with the rest of his black tux, was tailored expertly to fit tightly to his lithely muscled frame.

As her eyes continued to travel up his neck her heartbeat quickened even faster. It almost felt like a hummingbird hammering on the inside of her rib cage, trying viciously to break free. The color of his shirt gave away his house affiliation and that was bad enough. Slytherins never got close enough to whisper to her unless they were hissing some vulgar obscenity. But she had a very good guess at who the wizard was...

Finally her eyes found their destination and the onyx black eyes of Blaise Zabini stared intently back into her own. The top half of his face was covered in a generic black Zorro-style mask. While the bottom half sported the playboy grin he was so famous for. The one that made every girl within twenty feet of him swoon any time he unleashed it upon another unsuspecting victim.

"I... I was thinking of how that poor gentleman over there is going to need a friend to save him from an idiot who thinks themselves the next Weasley Twin." She replied, inclining her head towards the incapacitated boy not breaking eye contact. She searched his eyes for any recognition and finding none she was able to relax the set of her shoulders slightly. Hermione wanted to be the one to reveal herself if she chose, not have someone else expose her. Especially when she didn't even know if she would be staying. She could always hide out somewhere until after curfew when her chances of getting caught were much less if she absolutely had to...

He didn't turn to see who she gestured to. It probably didn't matter one iota to him. He continued to stare down at her, searching for something. Probably her identity, but his scrutiny made her extremely uncomfortable. It was almost as if he could read her thoughts and somehow knew she was an imposter. Even with that grin plastered on his face, his gaze was anything but playful.

Hermione could not figure out why he had even spoken to her. He had the reputation of a Ladies Man. The difference between Blaise and any other stereotypical example was he didn't need to run after girls. They flocked to him of their own volition. If the Loo Chatter was to be believed he also had the skills to back up any sweet talking he did offer up. It was odd he was even standing there without a witch on his hip.

She cleared her throat unable to stand his scrutiny a moment longer. Her eyes darted over to the corner where two bodies were intertwined so closely it looked as if they were enjoying a bout of cannibalism instead of a makeout session... She felt a blush start to creep up her neck and silently prayed Ginny's charms covered it.

"I think he would deserve whatever punishment he receives. Only a dolt would lose himself in drink this early on. Besides no one here would cause any permanent damage." Blaise responded.

Hermione unceremoniously snorted "That is such a Slytherin thing to say. Sometimes the worst scars are not etched in the skin."

"How astute of you." He acknowledged before he abruptly leaned forward so he was directly in her personal bubble. His lips were only a few inches from hers and the smell of firewhiskey on his breath made her nose twitch "Would the Lady care to join me for a shot?"

His closeness made cold shivers run up and down her spine. She could not believe this was actually happening. While Blaise had never actually attacked her, he had also never shown anything other than extreme indifference for her. Did he really not know who was hiding under the mask? Or was he playing a twisted game of snake and mouse? He wouldn't poison her, would he? She chided herself at that thought. Blaise wasn't Malfoy or Parkinson for Gods' sake!

Was he... Was he actually _flirting_ with her?! Ginny had definitely done too well of a job if that was the case. She had just wanted a single night of fun. Not to be the target of the biggest womanizer Hogwarts had the luck to see...

"S...Sure." she stammered. A quick step to the side allowed him to take her place in front of the alcohol. His thin but capable fingers set about the task of pouring them both a shot from an ancient looking bottle. Hermione could not stop herself from imaging them running through her hair, something she had overheard from Daphne Greengrass explanation of their tryst to her friends. When he was done he slid the chilled glass into her waiting grasp and then picked up his.

"To... No permanent damage. Visible or otherwise..." Blaise toasted and that signature smirk eased back into place.

She cocked an eyebrow at his jab but inclined her head, "To no permanent damage."

They both swallowed the burning liquid down. Hermione struggled not to cough as the warmth spread throughout her body, She very rarely drank much less hard liquor and she did not want it to show. She allowed herself to expel the breath she inhaled right before taking the shot. His eyes never left her face as he took the glass from her and set the pair back down on the table.

"Would you like another?" He asked her challengingly. She knew he was appraising her, seeing just how far she was willing to go.

"Yes. Thank you." She answered. Why not? It wasn't like she didn't know she had to tread carefully when it came to Zabini. While it was entertaining to have his affections for the moment, she knew she was never going to allow herself to end up as another notch on his figurative bedpost.

While he filled up the glasses again she continued her musings. She wondered what it would be like to be a different girl. One Blaise wouldn't shy away from once he figured out who she was. The type of girl who wouldn't be afraid to fall into his bed... Or the closest broom closet, if that was what they were able to find... He handed her back the glass she had used previously and took up his own.

"What should we toast to this time, M'Lady?"

"To a night of drunken shenanigans." It was her turn to smirk when his eyes twinkled with amusement.

"Here _motherfucking_ here!" He exclaimed before they took the alcohol down in one gulp. His eyes continued to search her face. And she was still lost on what it was exactly that he was trying so hard to find...

Suddenly it was his eyebrow that darted up over the top line of his mask, a mischievous glint entered his impossibly dark eyes right before he asked, "Would you like to play a game?"


	5. Chapter Four

"A game?" Hermione hedged at Blaise's question.

"Yes. A game." That annoyingly charming grin spread across his face once more. Oh yes, he had to know exactly how he affected the females of their species. That much was apparent to her.

"What kind of game?" She continued to prod. Unwilling to agree to anything with a Slytherin without knowing the specifics.

"A drinking game. We would have to go over there." He indicated a small cluster of chairs around a royal blue couch. Nearly all the seats were taken and if she had to guess she would say by others members of his house. The thought of a group of them figuring out who she was and attacking her sent chills down her spine and goosebumps to erupt over her body. "Each person has to give two true things about themselves and one lie. Then everyone has to guess which is the lie. If you guess wrong you have to take a shot. It is truly effortless. I promise."

It seemed simple enough. She liked to think she was a pretty observant person. She enjoyed watching people and trying to figure out what made them tick. There were very few people she didn't have at least an inkling towards their personalities. That would definitely play in her favor in a game like Blaise purposed. And this was exactly what she had come here for. Maybe not spending the evening with Slytherins (if they all were snakes) but being able to live a different life for a night. How much more divergent from her normal life could she get than playing drinking games with people who routinely harassed her?

"I suppose that would have the distinct possibility for drunken shenanigans." Hermione replied. She didn't miss the flash of admiration in Blaise's eyes before he slid his hand onto her bare lower back, scarcely above where the tulle hid her bottom from any exploration from his groping hands. He steered her towards the group of unknown coeds.

Of course, she did actually know them... The quandary was if she would be able to recognize them...

They stopped at the entrance to the little circle and she scanned the gathering. Thank the Gods! She did know who each of them was.

She picked out Pansy Parkinson right away. The chit had gone way overboard with the Slytherin Pride. She was figuratively (and literally) a snake. Her mask was inlaid with emeralds, diamonds and black opals. The design was exquisite and combined with her makeup... Wow! The dress was barely there and naturally- emerald green to match the jewels of her mask. It had a glittered overlay that shimmered in the candlelight. Her neckline plunged down to show the undersides of her breasts before the fabric gathered in a u-shape across her upper stomach. The skirt would without a doubt be considered "mini", the fabric barely came down enough to cover her voluptuous bum. Pansy screamed sex on a stick as she sat in one of the chairs, her legs draped across the arm leisurely.

Hermione's self-esteem took a hit. There was no way anyone was going to look at her when they had Pansy to faun over. Not that she wanted all of the males' attention mind you! That would be overwhelming. But even she had to admit it was nice to have Blaise's notice for the short moment she had it...

Wayne Hopkins, a Hufflepuff from their year, had one of the Carrow twins sitting in his lap. Was it... Hestia? Maybe. It was an odd pairing but the drunken heart wants what the drunken heart wants, apparently. Besides who was she to judge considering not even sixty seconds ago she was taking shots with The Slytherin Playboy?

Sue Li from Ravenclaw sat on the couch with... Shit! Draco - _frickin'_ \- Malfoy... In a tux... And a "Phantom of the Opera" styled mask? _What?!_ She hadn't recognized him at first considering his two brainless sidekicks were nowhere in sight. Hermione hesitated as Blaise stepped forward and sat between the two. He reached over and pulled Sue's legs into his lap. The dress she wore was a deep dark purple and leaned more towards modest but did have a slit up the left side that went to mid-thigh. Something he took immediate advantage of by sliding his hand onto her exposed knee. She didn't protest and just situated herself until she was more comfortable.

Hermione fought with the grimace that tried to spring onto her face. She had no idea why she cared. It was not like Blaise had done anything overtly forward with her. She should have known better. Why had she thought she could compete with girls like the two sitting in front of her? Virginal Bookworm Granger was definitely out her of element here. Just because the boy had taken pity and talked to her did not mean he was showing an interest!

No matter! She wasn't going to let some bizarre delusion gone wild from a five-minute interaction ruin her night. Hadn't she just been telling herself that she wouldn't let him overstep boundaries even if he tried? That she was going to stay sober enough to tell the prat no? She quickly sat in an empty chair. It felt good to rest her legs, the long walk from Gryffindor Tower and her own nerves had taken quite the energy.

"We are going to play Two Truths and A Lie." Blaise announced to the group, not drawing any attention to the newcomer with an introduction. Something she was overwhelmingly grateful for. She didn't know how she was going to show the fearlessness she needed to even speak in Malfoy's presence. In no way was she prepared for the lashing she was sure to get once he and Pansy realized it was her. Would Blaise or any of the others spare her enough of a distraction to slink away?

This was a mistake... A stupid stupid _stupid_ mistake...

"Awesome!" Wayne exclaimed. "Who's going first?"

"I will!" Sue said with a shrug of her thin shoulders. She sat there thinking for a second. Absentmindedly she reached up and scratched a piece of glitter that had fallen from the costume-ish mask on her face. Hermione found herself wondering yet again if some of the masks were from muggle shops. Being a Halfblood she could have had her muggle parent send it from home. Suddenly the girl sat up which had the added "benefit" of pushing her breast into the side of Blaise's shoulder. "My favorite band is the Wicked Sisters. I know how to drive a muggle stick shift car. I am secretly a Metamorphmagi."

"The Wicked Sisters while uhhhh... gifted and everything, do not seem to be your style." Blaise said, running his thumb along the skin of Sue's upper thigh, keeping his fingers cleverly on her knee cap. No one else was paying enough attention to notice the discrete venture. There had to be something wrong with her that she wanted to be in her place. She hoped it was just her teenage hormones running amuck while mixed with alcohol and she wasn't developing a crush on the guy, like (what seemed to be) every other girl in the school.

Malfoy sighed and rolled his eyes towards no one in particular. "The muggle car one."

Hermione faltered, realizing it was her turn. Everyone stared at her waiting for her guess.

"Well... Uhhh... The... Ummm... You're not really a metamorphmagi." She finally got out and took a deep breath as she turned towards Wayne expectantly, hoping the others would do the same.

Once more her unsaid prayers were answered and they did. She took a moment to gather her thoughts. She needed to keep her wits about her if she wanted to survive this untouched. Her mind vaguely registered that Wayne went with Blaise and Hestia had quickly agreed with him. From the glazed over look in her eyes she wondered if she had gotten into something even stronger than drink...

Pansy suddenly shifted in a quick movement. It seemed as if one moment she was relaxed, leaning back against the arm of the chair and the next she was sitting upright with her legs crossed. In Hermione's mind it just further reinforced the resemblance to her house mascot and served as a reminder that she couldn't allow herself to let down her guard. She didn't need a replay of the many times Pansy had used her smarts and vicious mouth to break her down. Still uncertain if anyone had figured out who she was she could only hope to keep it that way until she could escape.

"Definitely the super secret magical powers one. If you were able to do something like that it would have gotten out by now." Pansy answered brilliantly giving the reasoning Hermione would have if she had her head on her shoulders.

Sue smirked over in Pansy's direction, not making eye contact. It seemed that she wasn't the only one afraid of the wench. "You caught me."

"Damn, I really thought you had better musical tastes." Blaise interjected with a wave of his wand. A nonverbal spell caused shot glasses to appear full in each of the losers hands. Hermione couldn't help but be impressed and a tiny bit entertained that the boy had something in common with Mrs. Weasley. Even though it was a common enough spell she had never thought someone as rich and entitled as him would take the time to learn a spell so menial. He was an enigma that was for sure... The only reason she could come up with was that it was an impressive party trick. They all took their shots and the glasses disappeared before any of them could look for a place to set them down.

"Well then, it looks to be my turn." Blaise observed, that infuriating habitual smirk finding its way across his features. "I hate turnips. My Mother has Veela blood and that is why I am _so_ irresistible. I secretly think Quidditch is a waste of time."

Malfoy started off at nothing when he answered with a simple and concise. "Quidditch."

Hermione raised her eyebrow at that. Zabini was a Pureblood. Everyone knew that. Why had Malfoy purposely guessed wrong? It made absolutely no sense. She made a mental check mark to come back to it later. She did not have the time to sit and ruminate over it in that moment. "Your mother is not a veela. You are good looking but not _that_ good looking."

Everyone laughed at that. Even Malfoy snorted. The rest of them agreed with her on his Mother's origins being the lie. Draco took his shot and she noticed for the first time just how tired he looked under his mask. His normally cold gray eyes swirled as if a storm was brewing underneath his composed exterior. She found herself pondering if they had always done that and the iced overlook she normally got was from his deep-seated hatred for anyone Muggleborn... Or was it a new development from the aftermath of what happened last year?

He leaned forward and placed his elbows on his knees, staring at the floor. It took him longer than Blaise or Sue to gather his thoughts and Hermione hoped it would be easy to pick out his lie. He was cunning and if she didn't pay attention to exact wordage he might slip something past her and she would end up taking another shot. Not a good idea when the mission was to get away from this group as quickly as etiquette allowed...

Suddenly his eyes snapped up and locked on to hers. Her eyes widened from getting caught staring. For a second she could have sworn he knew who was hiding under her mask. Her heartbeat instantly raced and she hoped he wouldn't be able to see her pulse throb in her neck. She prayed to every God she knew, that they might hear her pleas to get out of this before he started in on her... She knew it was a long shot. He always had at any given opportunity in the past.

Why should tonight be any different?...

 **-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-**

 _Reminder: J.K.R. owns the universe and characters used as the basis for my fic. I have not (and will not) receive any sort of compensation for my time. This is purely for funsies!_

 _So... What do you think is going to happen? Does Malfoy recognize her? Is he going to revert to his old nasty habits? Let me know down below!_

 _As Always..._

 _Much love,_  
 _SlytherclawLuv_


	6. Chapter Five

His stare burrowed into hers. A spiral of emotions she could never hope to figure out, not if she was given a hundred years, churned underneath the stark whiteness of his mask. Just as quickly as his gaze had locked on to hers it was gone and he was smirking in Pansy's direction. Hermione tensed as she waited for him to out her and the tsunami of insults to begin at any second...

"I do not enjoy playing Seeker. I just like flying fast and let's face it... I am pretty damn good at it. My Mother's pet name for me as a child was Drakey-poo. I lost my virginity to Parkinson the night of the Yule Ball." Malfoy drawled arrogantly. He was some sort of expert at this game or at least that was the way it appeared. Each of his answers had just enough detail to possibly be the truth but were also embarrassing enough that you wouldn't necessarily want to admit to it. And none of them were so outlandish to be unbelievable, unlike his predecessors.

Slowly it dawned on her that he wasn't going to rat her out. Had she hallucinated him recognizing her? That had to be the only explanation.

Maybe she really could do this... Even if they did figure out it was her why should that stop her from having some fun first? Where was the bravery she prided herself on? She felt as if she had whiplash. Somehow she wasn't able to figure out if she wanted them to identify her or not. It felt like the worst thing in the world while simultaneously being a relief from the apprehension of their reactions.

She hated the feeling of walking on eggshells. She had spent far too much of her time toeing the line in the Wizarding World. It was one of the driving forces that made her strive for greatness and to push herself to be so brave even when every single one of her instincts told her to run. A reason to fight to be the best student, friend, daughter and person she could be. Maybe if she could do all of that she would be able to prove that she belonged in this world. That she had _earned_ her magic!

Her attention quickly shifted back to the topic at hand. She honestly didn't have a clue what the lie was...

Her shoulders lifted slightly, giving a sort of half shrug. "I cannot imagine Narcissa Malfoy calling her son Drakey-poo. So that is the one I will go with."

Wayne nodded at her answer and said "Same." before nuzzling his face into Hestia's neck. She giggled, slapped his arm to get him to stop his rather sloppy looking assault, and then gave her answer. "That Seeker bullshit."

By the time both Pansy and Sue had agreed with her Hermione knew she was in trouble. She should have known better. Malfoy was always bragging about his Quidditch prowess. Had the two shots she had taken earlier really affected her brain so badly that he got one over on her that easily?

Blaise pushed at Malfoy's knee with his own playfully. "Oh I don't know... That seeker stuff was a pretty good sell. But I am gonna have to go with the Lady over there. I have never heard your Mother utter the words Drakey-poo."

"Childhood pet name Zabini. It was the Seeker one. I'd almost think we haven't been roommates for years." Malfoy drawled at him, feigning hurt in his expression.

"Have I injured your fragile ego? Please accept my sincerest apologies! I would languish knowing Lord Malfoy was wounded by my ignorance." He responded sarcastically. A playful grin, so different from the smirk used on girls, rested on his lips which showed Malfoy (and everyone else) that it was all in good fun.

"So wounded I might have to scurry off to my bed. But first, it is our Mystery Guest's turn right?" Draco's replied effortlessly shifting focus from him.

Blaise immediately conjured a shot each for Hermione, Wayne and himself. Which they all swallowed down and within seconds the glasses disappeared with a flick of his wand.

Everyone's attention had been thrust onto her. Each person's curiosity shown brightly under their composed veneers. She internally shrank back but concentrated hard to gather her thoughts. Now was not the time for a bout of anxiety. Quickly she thought over her options. None of them supposedly knew who she was. It shouldn't be hard to fool them. If she kept her answers vague enough they should not be able to glean anything concrete about who she was...

"I was almost sorted into Ravenclaw. I've never liked flying. My favorite color is orange."

Wayne looked close to joining their friend in the corner but he still managed to slur out, "Everyone loves to fly."

Hestia nodded like what Wayne had said was the most obvious thing in the world. Her hand started to play with a button on his shirt. "Yeah. It's like being a bird or... something. You _have_ to be lying."

"Orange is a disastrous color, that makes for gaudy Halloween decorations. I highly doubt it is anyone's favorite color." Pansy responded dismissively, staring down at her painted nails.

"I am going to go with the almost being sorted into Ravenclaw. Since I have no clue who you are it is just a guess, but you don't seem like the Ravenclaw type to me." Sue said looking like she was growing bored. She probably wanted the game to be done just as badly as Hermione did. For two very different reasons though... She would be running off for her night of fun with Zabini and Hermione would be finding a quiet place to wait out the time before she could go back to her dorm. Better not to press her luck with how well everything was going.

"Orange is tacky. Like Pansy said, I couldn't imagine a woman as ladylike as you have shown yourself to be, to ever be fond of that horrid shade." Blaise replied.

"So not what I said..." Pansy mumbled under her breath.

"Flying. I cannot imagine someone not enjoying flying." Malfoy said. His eyes, once again, moved to settle her. This time they started at the tips of her toes and slowly traveled up her body. She watched intently as his eyes roamed to her hips... Up to her breasts... Then to her neck. Finally, his eyes flicked back onto hers. He didn't blush. He wasn't ashamed of his choice to unabashedly survey her body. The anonymity that her mask provided allowed him to truly appreciate something that he had never given a first glance. Considering who she was...

Flustered and slightly breathless from the way her heart hammered in her chest she tried to remember what they were doing... Oh yes... That blasted game.

"Orange isn't my favorite color. It's actually a soft gray. Like the sky during a summer rainstorm. Not a thunderstorm, just a light shower." She blushed crimson. She doubted even Ginny's charms stood a chance at covering it all. Why had she just yammered on like an idiot? And what was that nonsense about gray being her favorite color? It had always been chestnut brown, warm and inviting, like the cover of her favorite fairytale book as a child.

"Wait so you were almost sorted into Ravenclaw? What house are you in then?" Sue questioned, her natural inquisitiveness taking over.

 _Shit!_ How had it come to this already? The Gods were toying with her now. It had seemed an innocent enough admission at the time. She should have known it would lead to this question. What had she thought about pressing her luck?

"Gryffindor." Hermione said as offhandedly as she could muster.

It was better to treat it like a band-aid. If they were going to figure her secret out it was better for it to be before she could learn anything else about the people in this motley group. All of them had welcomed her without reservation. Knowing nothing about her, even Malfoy had allowed her to have a couple of stolen moments in which she could believe who she was didn't really matter. It didn't matter who her parents were. It didn't matter who her friends were. She wasn't "Hermione Granger, One of Harry's Best Friends", "Hermione Granger, The Brightest Witch of Her Age" or "Hermione Granger, Mudblood". She now knew what it felt like to be accepted. To be just another witch... For all of a half an hour.

"Ohhhhh... A lioness! I wonder if she roars or if she mews like a little kitten in bed?" Blaise asked smoothly, his womanizer smirk back on full display. He waggled his eyebrows at her. Daring her to come up with some response.

The thing was- She had absolutely no clue what to say...


	7. Chapter Six

"Oh come on now Blaise. We all know Gryffindors like to bite. Bet she is a lioness through and through." Wayne snickered as Hestia leaned into him and started to nibble on his neck.

"I don't know. She is so demure and saintly she might not make any noise at all." Pansy supplied, her lips lifted into her trademark sneer as she continued to study her black nails.

Hermione's blush was unrelenting and grew even darker as she squirmed under their scrutiny. Was Blaise hazing her? This had to be a test to show how she would take such an outrageous and vulgar question... She feared that her continued acceptance within the group centered around the next words to come from her mouth. Why couldn't this kind of banter come easily to her? Like it did for Ginny who had grown up around so many brothers.

"Well... You could always take me somewhere and find out Zabini." She challenged him using a jibe she had overheard in a similar exchange during a movie once. She felt a twinge of pride at sounding much more confident than she felt. The sweat that broke out across her palms was a testament to the jittery mess she had become. So was the violent tug that twisted her stomach into a hard knot.

Malfoy leaned back against the couch. An entertained smirk rested on his face as his eyes followed around with the conversation, moving along each person when they spoke. He missed nothing... Not Blaise's snort of approval. Nor Sue's huff of jealousy. He didn't miss Hermione brushing the palms of her hands against the tops of her thighs as she tried to wipe the perspiration from them discreetly.

Sue pushed herself up against Blaise and whispered loudly enough for everyone to hear. "Don't even think about it. Tonight you are _mine_."

"I would _never_ think to abandon you in your time of need... Even if a Gryffindor Kitten is offering herself up to me." Blaise responded, an insincere look of hurt across his features. He slyly offered a wink in Hermione's direction before giving Sue his attention. He whispered softly in her ear, by the way her shoulders started to loosen it was apparent he was offering her reassurances.

Out of nowhere, Theodore Nott strolled up into the group. He gave a nod in Blaise and Malfoy's direction before he stepped up to Pansy and cleared his throat. "You look bored out of your mind Pans. Want to dance with me?"

"Thank Salazar you came to save me, Theo. I thought my brain would turn to mush having to listen to these losers go on and on." She placed her hand on Nott's offered arm and quickly stood up. They headed over to the dance floor where a more upbeat song played. Hermione watched as he placed his hands on Pansy's hips and they started gyrating to the music.

A soft moan behind her pulled Hermione's gaze back to the remaining gathering. She peeked over and saw that Wayne and Hestia had decided to progress from teasing one another to a rather messy looking make out session. Blaise was still distracted with whispering into Sue's ear, his fingers now ran a slow lineup and down her arm. Hermione could see the goosebumps that had broken out across her skin, if they were from his words or his fingers she hadn't the faintest clue. She sighed softly, watching couples go at it wasn't really her idea of fun. If she wanted to do that she could have stayed back and waited for the nightly slobberfest between Ron and Lavender.

She wondered if this was going to be the culmination of her big night out... Three shots and a healthy helping of espionage to sedate her voyeuristic appetites? All wrapped up in forty minutes max? What a letdown! Maybe she could find somebody she actually knew around here, considering everyone was now preoccupied. Everyone... But Malfoy her brain discerned. Quickly her eyes sought him out and found him relaxed as he watched her think. How embarrassing! And dangerous! Mad-Eye's shouts of " _Constant Vigilance_ " echoed in her brain.

There was no other word than awkward to try and describe the situation she found herself in. Malfoy showed no signs of registering how uncomfortable she was. He continued to sit back and watch. His head was tilted slightly in Blaise and Sue's direction so he could easily eavesdrop on their hushed conversation while his fingers played with a frayed blue string on the armrest of the couch. She watched as he pinched and tugged on the offensive blight.

For the second time that night she found herself contemplating what would cause the look he had given her earlier. There was so much to be found in that one searing moment. Pain, anger, fear, passion, happiness, amusement, loneliness, suspicion... That single lingering look told her they all found footing and battled around in his brain.

It was almost as if he felt more confused than she had. And why shouldn't he be confused, considering how his life had been turned head over heels? His father had been sent off to Azkaban and their family must be suffering from social ostracization. Much less how Voldermort must have reacted to the failure...

"I... I uhhh... Should probably go..." Hermione stammered out arlessly as her gaze shifted to stare at Malfoy's left shoulder. She didn't want to continue with the loaded looks with him. Too much sympathy would be her downfall if she allowed herself to feel sorry for the snake.

Sue's attention was drawn to her fumbled attempt at an exit. Her dark brown eyes narrowed into a malicious glare. "I would have to agree. I mean, it has been fun and all... But it's time for the bumbling little Gryffindor bookworm to go on back to bed."

Hermione's jaw fell open, unsure where the attack had come from... A few jokes among what were supposed to be "friends", at least for the night, was enough to put the witch on the offensive? Was she really that insecure? She was baffled by the fact that it was the Ravenclaw shrew to come for her. At the beginning of the night she had thought that it was the Slytherins she needed to keep an eye on. Never would she have imagined this conclusion. Suddenly, as if granted the power of prophecy, she saw exactly where this going with absolutely no way to stop it.

"Oh yes... The little wannabe Golden Girl should have known better than to even come here in the first place. You must have been waiting for an opportunity just like tonight. Quite clever to use the masquerade theme to your advantage. I can see why you were almost a Ravenclaw." Sue's lips turned up so she could smile cruelly at her.

Oh Gods! She knew and she was going to make sure that Hermione would never forget tonight as the dumbest thing she had ever done... And she had done some ridiculously stupid things in her short life. She looked around wide-eyed, floundering for any kind of help. Blaise and Malfoy seemed transfixed on the girl's brutal outburst. Even Wayne and Hestia had stopped their amorous activities to watch the onslaught of anger directed at her.

"I..." Hermione tried to interrupt the tirade, hoping she could stem the flow of vindictive anger and get out of there before the humiliating reveal. But of course, she wouldn't be that lucky... She watched as Sue's eyes narrowed even further, preparing to deliver the death blow. She quickly got to her feet even though her legs felt like they would give out underneath her.

"What? Doesn't Miss Know-It-All have any retorts? Nothing? I think that must be the very first time ever... _Granger_."

Why?! Her heartbeat pounded in her ears as she tried to remember how to breathe. She took a shaky step forward, willing her legs to work and to get her to safety. Anywhere but here. She turned towards the door and took a deep shuddering breath. The last of her will power going into not hexing the little bitch or bursting into tears. Better to just get out now before the others joined her in the attack.

"Holy shit!" She heard Blaise hiss. The words finally caused her to react. They somehow reached in the primal parts of her intellect and triggered her fight or flight response.

And she ran...

 **-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-**

Gasping for breath she stopped running and leaned against the cold stone wall. What had just happened?! How had everything gone from being a fun little romp in a different life into this mess? Tears sprang to her eyes and she bit her bottom lip hard to stop the sob that threatened to erupt from within. There was no way she was going to be able to rub this night in Harry and Ron's faces now! Oh no, now it was going to be about saving face and trying to cover up the complete and utter humiliation she felt. As she stood there she sensed the anxiety swelling inside of her at the thought.

She could feel her teeth as they sank into the soft skin of her lip but she didn't stop. It was the only way to contain the hysteria fighting for control. She couldn't go back to her dorm like this. Someone would go and get Ginny to try and calm her down. Hermione could not imagine trying to explain all of this to her while her thoughts swirled like a tornado, devouring anything good that she had felt earlier.

The feeling of pride over how nice she looked... Gone.

The memory of being one of "them"... Gone.

How brave she had felt when she opened the door... Gone.

All of it yanked from her hands just as quickly as it had been given.

It was almost as if a dementor was near, the overwhelming despair was so strong she ran her eyes up and down the corridor just to make sure. She couldn't help the sick longing that filled her. If it was a dementor she would have had something to attack!

Hermione felt her hands trembling at her side as she tried to reign in her out of control emotions but the more she tried the more the anxiety attack threatened to consume her.

She pushed herself back into a standing position as she struggled for air. She needed to find somewhere safe as soon as possible before the sobs wouldn't stop and the uncontrollable shaking started. She had always had a problem with anxiety. One she kept under lock and key. None of her friends knew about the attacks, much less that they had increased in frequency since she was hit with that blasted curse. She couldn't go back to Gryffindor Tower. Curfew had just passed so the library was out...

Where the fuck was she going to go?!

 **-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-**

 _What are you thinking so far? Where exactly is our girl going to go? How are the other members of their little ragtag group going to retaliate?_

 _Hope all is well with you beautiful readers out there. I am so thankful for each and every one of you!_

 _As always..._

 _Much love,_  
 _SlytherclawLuv_


	8. Chapter Seven

"I need a place to hide. I need a place to hide. I need a place to hide." Hermione mumbled as she passed in front of the wall three times. Would it work with her brain shouting a hundred different things that she really needed at her? She forced another deep breath down into her lungs. They ached from the trek up to the seventh floor and it did not help that she had fought to keep her sobs subdued the whole way.

She exhaled a sigh of relief as the door to the Room of Requirement popped into being. She quickly dashed over and placed her hand on the grooved wood before checking over her shoulder. She knew she should have scouted for anyone watching prior to summoning the room, but her edginess wouldn't allow her mind to think of important measures like that. As she scanned the darkness her hand slid down the door, working its way down to the cold metal of the doorknob.

At a snail's pace she inched the door open just enough for her body to pass through. With one final look around the deserted hallway, she slipped into the room and shut the door with a gentle click. Hermione leaned her forehead against the ancient wood. She did not turn around to check out her surroundings. Instead she relished in the fact that no one would be able to find her. Even if one of her friends grew worried and thought to check for her here they would need their own place to hide for door to even work for them.

Finally safe, she had let her tears cascade down her face. She knew all of Ginny's hard work was in the metaphorical toilet but she couldn't muster up enough sympathy to care. Large tufts of her curls fell from her updo and the sweat on her brow was enough to tell her that the painstakingly applied makeup was a mess already. The fact that she could be vain enough to care how she looked caused her silent tears to switch to full-blown sobs. She was an idiot... And a horrid friend to boot.

She turned around so she was facing the room but her eyes were too clouded with tears to take in her environment. She leaned back against the door and slid herself down until she was sitting on the ground. Hermione pulled her knees up to her chest and allowed the anxiety to take hold. Her raspy breaths felt like fire scorching up and down her throat. Every muscle in her body felt like a violin string ready to snap. She continued to sob, letting her head fall forward and smack her knee with a hollow thud. The pain didn't register as her extremities went numb.

Slowly her body slumped to the right and her shoulder slammed into the ground at an awkward angle. A sharp pinch at her temple let her know she had hit her head. When her vision started to dim she knew it had to have been pretty hard but her only thought as she rushed to unconsciousness was... " _Thank you!_ "

 **-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-**

The first thing that Hermione noticed when she came to was a deep pounding in her head. It felt like a herd of Erumpents were charging around in there. The second was that she was cold. Little by little she started to piece together what had happened and where she was. She sighed painfully and pushed herself up into a sitting position.

She groaned at the sudden rush of blood back into her right arm caused the feeling of thousands of needles prickling along the skin. She flexed the fingers and lifted her left hand up to her right temple checking for blood. When her fingers came away dry she was grateful. At least she didn't have to deal with an open wound. As her world started to right itself and her senses could take more in than simple self-evaluation she noticed that she wasn't in a small room like she had initially thought. Not even close...

In fact, she wasn't even sure if what she was in could be considered a room. It was more like a cavern. She couldn't even see the other three walls because it was filled to the brim with stuff. Everywhere her eyes could see there were stacks of random odds and ends. Books, quills, parchment, broken furniture, weapons, clothing of every variety, brooms, bookcases... The endless amount of things was overwhelming. Thousands of students must have found this room the same way she had... Needing a place to hide (or more than likely needing a place to hide something).

She slowly got to her feet. Her haggard body couldn't afford to take another spill. She stepped up to a table that bore signs of having barely survived a fire at one point, most notable being the blackened charred top. The mass amount of papers it held was staggering and she theorized that it must have been charmed to withhold the weight. She reached down to the floor and plucked a sheet from a random pile. Her eyes scanned the contents and she smiled wistfully. It was a love note from 1779. She wondered if Matilda had ever found out about Wilcott's affections.

She gently set the parchment down and continued forward. She didn't want to go too far into the hoard but her natural curiosity would not let her just walk away without exploring. A few steps into the maze she spotted a rack of cloaks, all of them in the dress code regulated black. It was overwhelming to see the physical evidence of so many student bodies moving through Hogwarts since it had opened its doors. Each item had an owner, who in turn had their own stories of how they came to need to the room.

Hermione made her way through the mess, being mindful that some of the "walls" looked dodgy so it was better to keep to the middle of the aisles. After two rights (she figured it was easier to remember her path back if she only needed to take lefts) and a fair amount of walking she came upon a jewelry box. It was sitting haphazardly on top of the beheaded neck of a statue. The silver casing was tarnished and caused the metal to appear black with green and blue speckles. Alternating lines of pearls and opals started at the top and sides and were angled in to meet around the locking mechanism. The largest jewels were the size of a knut and the closer the line got towards the keyhole the smaller they became. The smallest were almost like dots formed by the tip of a quill.

Transfixed she stopped in her tracks. It was as if the box was calling to her. Instantly she forgot her preventative measures and took a step forward. And then another... And another until she was only six inches away from the beautifully intricate creation. The world around her seemed to fade away. The only two things in existence were her and this jewelry box.

 _Touch me_ , it whispered in her ear. Vaguely her mind registered that she shouldn't touch anything she wasn't sure was safe...

 _Touch me_ , it coaxed again. She lifted her hand but hesitated to close the distance.

 _JUST DO IT_ , it screamed in her head causing a vicious drum beat to start against her temple. She stopped her hand from moving any closer, her fingers were only two inches away from brushing the top. Again the thought to not touch nagged at her mind. She couldn't recall why it would be such a bad idea but knew it would be...

 _Please just touch me_ , it begged her. The voice sounded as if she was an oasis to a parched mouth. Her hand started to move of its own accord and fought with her sluggish brain for every millimeter.

Hermione's stomach twisted as she remembered why she shouldn't be touching random objects found in the Super Secret Hidey Hole for a magical school... Curses and possession being the highest on the list. Even as her brain accepted this and tried to win the struggle, her hand continued forward. There was hardly a half an inch between her pointer finger and one of the raised gems on the box's surface.

 _Yes_ , it hissed. It must have felt it's impending success because the helpless inflection was gone. Her heart started to pound in time with the rolls of panic from her stomach. Or was it the other way around? Her stomach rolled with panic every time her heart pounded?

With the last of her restraint, she tried one last time to snatch her hand away. A sob escaped her lips as she realized who the victor in this battle of wills was going to be. She hoped it would be quick and she wouldn't languish with a curse for years on end.

Or even worse... She had heard of people getting sucked into magical objects before. She could be stuck here forever. There would be no way anyone could find her. It had happened before... A student just disappearing, never to be heard from again. The last time had been over twenty-five years ago but it was just Hermione's luck to be next on the list... All because she had dropped her guard and let this thing get inside her head.

 _Come on. Just a little closer dear_ , it nudged at her mind unpleasantly. She could feel her fingers itch to push forward. It was so quiet she couldn't even hear her heart anymore. The one thing that always let her know she was alive was discouragingly gone. What if she was already dead? Could she have hit her head that hard back there and this was all some weird prelude to the afterlife? With that depressing thought Hermione lost what little resolve she had left. She closed her eyes and embraced whatever would happen. She deserved what fate had in store for her. Maybe it wouldn't be so bad.

Suddenly, as if from nowhere, her ears picked up on the sound of shoes clacking against stone. The new stimuli somehow severed through the connection and caused the spell to be broken.

She heard a ferocious, _Nooooooo!_ screeched into her mind before she instantly had control over her body again. She could not move though... So she stayed frozen in the position the damned box had left her in. Hermione's mind refused to accept the fact that nothing had happened to her. The odds were so infinitesimal that someone had come along at exactly the right moment. But yet there she stood.

The clacking stopped and a voice rang out, "What the hell are you doing Granger?"


	9. Chapter Eight

"Were you struck mute since the last time I saw you, Granger? I asked you a question. What are you doing?" That annoyingly familiar voice drawled. It would be her luck...

"I... Ummm... Well, you see..." Hermione looked down to the jewelry box and quickly took a step back, not wanting to get anywhere near the thing again. She pondered on the chances of her stammering being a side effect of the spell. Or exhaustion from everything that had happened over the course of such a ridiculous night.

Her eyes flicked up and met the normal cold dark gray eyes she had grown so used to out of Draco Malfoy. He snapped at her as he grew impatient. "Out with it Granger."

"The box it... It talked to me. It's... It's possessed or something. I don't know. It told me to touch it. And I couldn't stop myself. Then you came by. You... _You saved my life?_ " She rambled. Not knowing if she made a lick of sense.

"The jewelry box was talking to you? And then I saved you? What are you yammering on about?" Malfoy flung his questions at her in such quick succession it was hard for her to keep up. His eyes left hers for the first time since their meeting. He scanned her body and face, centering on her right temple. She must have a bruise there. Great, he was going to think she had a concussion.

"Yes. The box... It talked to me. Inside my head, told me to touch it. And I couldn't fight it. I think the sounds of your footsteps somehow broke the mental connection. Ergo... You saved me. Albeit unintentionally, so I do apologize for not perishing in some terrible fashion." She snapped at him. She did not like her brain feeling so muddled and having to interact with the provoking git.

Slowly the cold iciness melted from his eyes and was replaced with a hint of the earlier chaos, this time there was what looked like concern and trepidation thrown into the mix. "So you did not touch it? Are you sure? You look like you have taken a nasty spill."

"I hit my head... Before. It happens. Anyways... I should go so you can get back to... Whatever you are doing here I suppose..." All of his questions made her temple start to pound again. She just wanted to get back to her bed. She had no idea how long she had been out earlier. Or how long she had been caught up fighting with that cursed chunk of metal.

He took a step towards her and she shrank back, almost knocking into a bookcase filled to the brim with ancient tombs. He raised his hands in front of her in a placating gesture. "I can help you get to Pomfrey, Granger. I won't hurt you."

She tried to shake her head but groaned aloud when the pain shot from her temple to the back of her eye. She took a quick breath, fighting with the bout of nausea brought on by the stabbing agony. She would not vomit in front of Draco Malfoy. That wasn't an option in any universe.

"Why not? That seems to be one of your favorite hobbies after all." She challenged.

He inhaled slowly, trying to control his temper and not rise to her continued baiting. The muscles in his face clenched and he shrugged. "I don't find pleasure in kicking a witch when she is down. If you were in top shape it would be a different story. But let's just say my Pureblood Chivalry Lessons are kicking in and I would not feel right about letting you wander the castle in your delirious condition."

"So you don't want to help me because it is the right thing to do? It's all about making yourself feel better? I should not be surprised." Hermione retorted. She went to walk away from the infuriating ass... And felt the world tilt as she stumbled forward and quite literally fell into his waiting arms.

"My intentions should not matter considering you cannot take three steps without my help..." The smirk that etched its way across his face caused her to want to scream. This was a nightmare. One plucked from her head and brought to life just to fuck with her. She was certain of it.

Her brain absent-mindedly noted that he had changed from the tux he sported earlier. He now wore a white button-up shirt, the collar left open to his collarbone. A pair of the Hogwarts standard black dress pants adorned his lower half. And his mask was nowhere to be found. She sighed softly and watched the exhaled breath lift a few strands of his platinum blonde hair up from his forehead.

It was unfair for someone she loathed to look so dang good...

She felt his strong hands wrap around her, supporting most of her weight. He hugged her tightly against his hard chest. She did not want him so close to her and she couldn't fathom how he seemed to be perfectly ok with her skin tainting him.

Hermione whispered. "Why?"

He chuckled in her face, causing the scent of peppermint to envelop her. "I already explained why my intentions do not matter much Granger."

"That's not what I meant... You know what? My head really hurts and I would like to lay down. Can we just get on with it?" She begged him, pushing herself away from his chest but not far enough to leave the support his arms offered freely. She could not understand why he was helping her. Even with the weak excuses he gave, but she wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth. She could barely support her own weight to stand... The chances of her making it out of the room, much less to her common room were slim to none.

"By all means let's get going then." He sobered before positioning himself up against her left side. He watched her eyes as he let one hand fall from her hip. Malfoy allowed her a moment to get her bearings before leading her in a step forward. "Come on Kitten, we should get you to Pomfrey."

They made slow but continuous progress. Occasionally his eyes would search what he could see of her face to make sure she was holding up. No words passed between the pair as Draco expertly guided them back to the door. The only sounds to permeate the room were their shallow breaths. Hermione's mind started to work overtime in the quiet. She could not comprehend the kindness shown to her by tonight by her hated enemy. It was so far out of the realm of possibility her brain blanked on any adequate explanation.

When they reached their first destination Hermione leaned against the cold stone wall right next to the door. She reached up and wrenched the mask off. The coolness that hit her hot face caused a soft sigh to escape from between her lips. She couldn't help it, it felt so good. Malfoy's hand rested on the doorknob as his eyes scanned over her newly bare face for the first time that night. She could only imagine the frightful state she was in. When their eyes met she did not see the disgust she expected there. If anyone emotion stood out to her it was... Concern?! Tainted with? _Longing?!_

"Are you okay? Do you need to stop? I could leave you in the corridor to get someone to help." His normal drawl was rushed and husky. His close proximity kept on surprising her. Who was she kidding? Everything about tonight just kept on surprising her. Fate had a funny way of doing that to her plans. Hence why she had learned at an early age to have backup plans for Plan C. Especially when it had anything to do with Harry...

Her cheeks instantly flared at the thought of one of her best friends. She was betraying him simply by accepting Malfoy's help. Would the fact that she was hurt even factor in for him? The two hated each other so vehemently that anytime Hermione tried to rationalize with some of his crazier ideas about the boy in front of her it was looked at as a personal affront. It might not even register that she had no other choice if he ever found out... She couldn't let that happen. She could not lose him too.

While she and Ron were somewhat civil, things hadn't been the same between the two of them since Lavender. If she was honest with herself, which she tried not to be very often, she had found her romantic feelings towards him stifled by the realization he could think the witch was a suitable partner. Hermione wasn't deluded enough to think that Ron should never date when she was too chicken to admit her feelings, but for it be Lavender Brown was kind of...Repellent. She had always annoyed them before, but now the sun shined out of her behind because she would let him get to second base...

Draco cleared his throat, interrupting her musings.

"Uh... Yeah. I'm okay to go on. I think it would be best if I went back to my dorm though. I'd rather not deal with the questions, you know?" She gestured the short distance between the two of them. "And there would be _lots_ of questions."

"True..." Malfoy hedged. He appraised her condition once more. Probably trying to decide if it was worth arguing with her over Pomfrey being the better option.

"Look. I know I look horrible but... I ummm... Went on a crying jab after Sue's stunt. It helped get me into this state." She indicated her ruined makeup and hair. "I don't have a concussion. I am not going to die. I'm just _tired_..."

"If you are sure." He stated simply. His fingers tightened around the doorknob that they were still wrapped around and he jerked it open. He offered her his arm this time. Letting her make the choice for when she was ready to continue. So different from the pushy prat she had assumed he would be. How was he so unlike the assumptions she had made? Had her moments of weakness broken through some facade he kept up around everyone?

She slid herself into his embrace, letting some of her weight fall against him. His arm instantly wrapped around her waist. Hermione shuddered slightly from his touch. She was surprised at the lack of revulsion. No... The surreal feeling of lust pinched deep in her stomach. She quickly looked away and down the hall, afraid that her damned cheeks would betray her. Her heart, hammering away in her chest at the sudden rush of estrogen, could very well do the job too...

Malfoy helped her along, letting her set the pace. After a few moments he whispered softly, almost inaudibly... "I'm not going to hurt you Granger."

How was she supposed to tell him that she highly doubted his sincerity when he sounded so broken?...

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 _What do you think of how the story is going so far?_

 _Be prepared for some Dramione goodness in the next chapter!_

 _Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling is the original and sole owner (and creator) of the universe and characters used within my fan fiction. I do not and will not receive any type of compensation for my time. Other than maybe reviews. ;)_


	10. Chapter Nine

_This chapter is dedicated to pgoodrichboggs! Thank you for all of the wonderful reviews and words of encouragement! I don't think you know how much your words inspired me to bang out this chapter in one night. You are amazeballs!_

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"I hope not." Hermione said, her voice cracking at the end. She had wanted it to come across as a joke but their past would not permit that kind of nonchalance to be used. Her eyes glanced up to take in his profile as they turned a corner.

Malfoy expelled a deep breath before meeting her look. His eyebrow arched up, as an unsure grin crossed his lips. "But, I am a hero tonight Granger! And the Hero Guide clearly states I cannot wound, maim, mutilate or otherwise cause any bodily harm to a Maiden. Which you would qualify as... Right?"

She felt the blush creep up her neck and into her cheeks. She quickly looked down to the ground, choosing to ignore the primary implication of his question and instead concentrated on the path in front of them. "Yes. I am still very much a female..."

"Lucky for you. If you weren't such a pretty little thing I probably would have left you to rot." He said simply. She felt his whole body tighten against hers as what he said registered to them both. _Draco_ \- frickin _'_ \- _Malfoy_ had just called her pretty... When had Hermione jumped into the Twilight Zone? Was he that drunk?! He had to be... Nothing else would explain his behavior. She could hear him swallowing loudly as if he was just as dumbstruck by his admission as she had been.

Slowly the rest of his confession registered and she grimaced against the words at the end of his sentence. He would have left her to die if she wasn't pretty? Like her only redeeming attribute was her looks... Of course, considering who she was talking with, it might have been a backhanded compliment. She was just a Mudblood to him. The lowest of the low. Even lower than Muggles. According to the way he was brought up he should have killed her in that room and like he said, left her body to rot... But he had found one redeeming quality in her worthy enough to save. She should be grateful, not offended that there was a reason. Even if it was a superficial one.

"Th... Thanks. I think..." She whispered, offering him an olive branch. He hadn't meant to be so morbid. Or say what he had about her looks... She could feel that from the tension rolling off his body. That was probably how Death Eaters and subsequently their families talked. When you are surrounded by death the psyche could do some twisted things to protect the mind, like making jokes out of it. When you were raised as if that was normal? She could only imagine the scars left on the boy who was helping her.

Draco snorted in her ear and shook his head. He didn't make any indication that he wanted to continue their conversation so Hermione let it drop. She didn't want to push and cause something in him to snap. When it came to a Malfoy that could prove to be deadly. Especially for someone with her blood status and antagonistic past with him. Even with her DA training she didn't think she was in good enough shape to take him on if he decided to try to use magic against her. Hell... A fly could probably take her on in her current state...

In silence they made decent progress. They didn't encounter anyone on the way which was a small blessing in an evening of nightmares. Her mind ruminated over everything that had been said between the two of them over the night. Each heavy stare or quick glance. Each time her stomach had flipped as if a chocolate frog was jumping around inside of it when his strong fingers rubbed against her stomach. She still could not wrap her head around any of it. Why had he helped her? That specific question kept tickling the back of her mind obsessively. As if by getting his answer this whole night would somehow make sense.

Finally, they were getting close to the portrait of the Fat Lady. She didn't have much time left with the fledgling man who was helping her. The one she had interacted with almost daily for the past six years but who was proving to be essentially a stranger. She highly doubted this tense repertoire would be an option tomorrow. Even if by some miracle Malfoy didn't turn back into the bullying ogre he had been... She couldn't reciprocate anything. Not when that would betray Harry. Tonight was the night for any answers she needed...

"If I asked you a question, would you answer honestly Malfoy?" She asked him hesitantly. Hermione stopped their progression before placing her hand against the wall and testing if she would be able to hold all of her weight or not. Draco's hand slid from her hip and the skin underneath suddenly felt cold from the loss of contact. She leaned back against the wall so she could reserve her strength.

"Maybe..." He hedged. The same look of curiosity from earlier settled on his features. He was intrigued but didn't trust her. She couldn't blame him, she did not trust him either...

"Why did you _really_ help me? It's not that I am not grateful... I just cannot figure it out and it will bug me until I do." She rambled, now regretting her choice to ask. She watched as his eyes switched between ice and storm at an alarmingly fast rate. If she hadn't been leaning against the wall she probably would have taken a step away from him. Her mind screamed danger as the snake fought for control of the boy standing there. It was almost as if she was watching a twisted real-life version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde play out in front of her.

Abruptly he closed his eyes and gave a quick shake of his head before opening them again. They were, thankfully, the stormy gray she had come to recognize as what she hoped was the real Draco. The hard frozen version of him was the one she had known all these years and she had thought that was all there was. It surprised her more than she cared to admit to know she had missed this whole other person. Buried underneath all of the instilled hatred and bigotry was a sarcastically funny, caring and shy individual. Oh and good looking... He was definitely that when his face wasn't contorted in a nasty sneer.

"What if I am sick of being the villain Kitten?" Malfoy answered her question with one of his own, testing her.

She raised her eyebrow at the new pet name. It was the second time he had called her that since finding her in the Room of Requirement. Hermione wasn't sure how she felt about it. It was a reminder of Sue's vicious assault, yes. And yet since the anxiety had passed, at least for now, there was a tiny flush of pleasure in it as well. She had shown herself that she could belong in the Wizarding World. Even among the Purebloods...

"What if I wanted to be the hero? What if... What if I was cast wrong in this little story? Would you understand that?" He continued, throwing out question after question. She noticed that this was his nervous habit. His very own "tick" that he did when he was agitated by something.

His words caused her to stop for a second. She expected another bullshit excuse. But this... This gave her pause.

She could understand that. That was exactly what tonight was supposed to be about for her. Being able to be someone different than her normal boring self. And he posed a very good question, what if he had been cast wrong? What if the casting mistakes didn't stop there? What if she wasn't just the supportive bookworm friend?

She had never really thought of it that way... Could she be the heroine of her own story? Not just a side role in Harry's? That was what it had felt like all of these years... Like she had been swept up in Harry's story.

Hermione chuckled softly and shook her head before staring him right in the eye. Knowing him seeing the truth in her own was the only way he was going to believe her. "Actually... I could."

Draco searched her gaze unrelentingly. He took a slow step towards her, leaving enough room between their bodies that she could easily slip away if she chose to. The smell of peppermint once again engulfed her and she closed her eyes, savoring it. She had always loved the fragrance. It reminded her of Christmas and hot cocoa by the fire with her parents. It reminded her of home...

"I suppose _you_ would." He whispered in her ear. She was startled at how close he had leaned in, she could feel his hot breath on the tender skin of her neck and ear lobe. She bit her lip but then winced at the sudden pain it sent down her chin. She had forgotten how she had drawn blood previously. Instead of moaning, like she desperately wanted to, her breath left her in a shuddering rush, she knew he could hear it hitch.

"Look at me, Granger." He demanded in another hushed tone. She instantly obeyed and he sighed for her. "Your eyes are so beautiful. I've wanted to tell you that for years. Ever since they lit up when you decked me in Third Year."

She laughed breathlessly at the memory. It gave her a moment to try to come up with something to say to that. Once again she was thrown out of her element. This sort of thing was why she had her first romantic moments and subsequent kiss with Viktor. Being more of the strong and silent type there hadn't been much of this back and forth...

"That was ummm... very sweet?" She asked.

The spell was broken as Draco laughed. He stepped away from her and looked down at the ground for a moment. When he looked back up he was more restrained. Not the iceman, but not the man who had just told her that her eyes were beautiful either. "A hero wouldn't let a maiden dawdle in a hallway with a Dragon. Let's keep going. Do you still need my help?"

Her heart beat harder at his reminder. He was dangerous. There was no doubt about that. But he was also kind. He had a wickedly hurtful tongue. But he had a quick sense of humor. He was savage. But he could be gentle. Zabini looked like a forty-piece jigsaw puzzle compared to the paradox Draco presented her.

"I think I got it. Do... Do you think you could finish the walk with me? Just in case I fall again?" She blushed at her acknowledgment of being vulnerable.

He nodded and they continued on their journey. He stayed close to Hermione. Ready to grab her if she fell. But she was steady on her feet now. When they got to the corner that led to the entrance of her common room she stopped. She didn't want the Fat Lady to see their goodbyes, they would the topic of painting gossip for days. If they weren't already she realized, thinking of how many portraits they had passed on their way. Most had been "sleeping" but who knew for sure...

"Thank you, Draco. Truly. I don't know what would have happened to me if you had not come along." She told him, a soft smile playing on her lips. She hoped it conveyed how much she meant her words.

"That is what heroes do Kitten. No need to thank me. Though if you wanted to sincerely show your appreciation I've heard the going rate is a kiss..." His eyes twinkled with a playfulness she had never seen. Not even with Blaise earlier that night. Hermione knew he must be joking with her but her gut still clenched at the offer.

How could she possibly ask him for a kiss?...


	11. Chapter Ten

Hermione stood there, shocked into stillness. She stared into Draco's mystical gray eyes, she could not for the life of her, figure out what to say to his suggestion. The absurdity was laughable... But then why was every nerve in her body screaming for her to lean forward and press her lips to his?

 _Your body is a traitor_ , her mind screamed at her. This was Draco Malfoy! The boy who spent countless hours and days terrorizing her and her friends. The boy who called her Mudblood nearly every single day. The boy who had cursed her with beaver teeth for Gods' sakes!

The one to help you when you needed it, her heart whispered through the shouting. The one who could have left you to die but didn't. The one who, for all intents and purposes, should kill her right where she stood. The one who was waiting for her permission for a kiss, instead of just taking what he wanted...

Even now he stood there patiently. He gave her the time she needed to figure things out. He didn't rush her. His stance was relaxed as if he had all the time in the world to stand there. Hermione was not an inconvenience to him. If anything he seemed to understand that it sometimes took her a little longer to think things out. She didn't like making hasty decisions. They led to issues, like deciding to go to that party. Look at how many questionable positions she had been put in since that emotion charged choice!

At that moment she could not bring herself to regret her decision though, standing there with this mysterious new Draco. She would have never known about the real him behind the figurative mask if she would not have gone. Tomorrow, on the other hand, would probably be a different story. She would have to face the consequences of her actions. The gossip, stares and anger from Harry and Ron would be a literal hell.

Why shouldn't she be able to keep this feeling of excitement going for the few precious moments she would be allowed to have it? Harry. Her mind screamed. Harry and Ron, you stupid girl! How could she betray her two best friends any more than she already had? While they had their issues they had always been there for her. They were her anchors in a world so different than the one she had grown up in. And other than Ginny, they were some of the only people who actually seemed to enjoy her company... She couldn't risk their friendship for a kiss!

Maybe it wasn't her body that was the traitor... Maybe it was _her_. Each time she thought she had come to the conclusion of telling the boy no a chilled feeling of dread filled her stomach. Like his lips were the only thing that would ever make her feel warm again now that the offer had been left on the table.

She cursed her teenage hormones. They were the only reason she could not make the logical choice of running away. Fast! But she wanted him to push her up against the wall and kiss her fiercely. Heck, if she was honest with herself she wanted more than that. More than she would ever admit.

Hermione smiled softly as she looked up at Draco through her eyelashes. He was watching her intently again like he could read her as easily as a potion recipe. She wondered what exactly he saw and if her demeanor kept changing as her thoughts raced. Taking a deep breath she nodded slightly. "I... I think you are right. A maiden's token _is_ usually a kiss."

Draco's eyebrows rose higher than she had ever seen them, it was almost comical. His surprise was evident but something like hunger flashed across his eyes. He quickly reigned the emotion in so Hermione couldn't be certain... But that was what it had looked like to her. He stepped forward so his body was only a few inches from hers. The movement pushed the tulle against her legs, causing them to itch as the abrasive fabric scratched her skin. Then the scent of peppermint invaded her senses again and she quickly forgot her discomfort.

He was so close. She felt his breath on her face each time he exhaled. His eyes were searching hers again and she really wanted to know what everyone thought they were going to find there? She was just another terrified little girl playing at being grown enough to make any kind of decisions. Much less ones that were life and death. It had happened so often during her six years of being a witch it was mind-boggling. No seventeen year old should have to deal with what she had to. And it was only going to get worse...

"Are you sure?" Draco asked her timidly. She could feel his hesitance, not wanting to do anything that would cause her to scurry away frightened. He could have been afraid of the rejection as well, but Hermione didn't find that very likely... He was always so confident.

She nodded. Her lips parted gingerly, waiting for him to close the distance between them. When he finally stopped staring at her and pressed his body against hers, she gasped. The warmth of him felt so good. Too good. Her back was pushed against the wall behind her, causing jagged pieces of stone to press into her exposed skin. She barely even noticed. Her heart was beating so loudly in her ears she doubted that Draco couldn't hear it too. She knew he had to feel it against her breast with the way his body was pushed against hers.

Draco slowly reached up, his eyes never leaving hers and placed his hands on the sides of her face. His thumb brushed along the curve of her bottom lip. She thought she heard him murmur something like, "So beautiful", before he slipped his hands back and cupped her head. His long sure fingers entangled themselves in the hair at the nape of her neck. The whole time his eyes stayed locked on hers doing their hypnotic swirling of emotions thing.

Suddenly he leaned forward and smashed his lips against hers. It was almost violent in intensity and her whole body tensed against him. She thought about pulling away for a second but he softened against her. Slowly his lips started to move, coaxing the same from her. Her muscles started to relax as the kiss turned tender and intimate. His tongue touched her bottom lip and he groaned. The sounds of his pleasure shot a bolt of longing directly into Hermione's knickers. With the fingers of his left hand still on her neck, his thumb stroked the skin of her jaw before he pulled away. She kept her eyes closed and tried to lean in for another but he just pulled farther away. Only an inch or so but he wouldn't let her make contact with him again.

Hermione gave a frustrated sigh but opened her eyes. As if drawn by a magnet her eyes instantly found his. He smirked down at her seductively. "Who am I, Kitten?"

She was bewildered by the question. What was he asking her? What did he want her to say? It was obvious that he wasn't asking for his name. That wouldn't make any sense. Who was he outside of that connection to his family? A Slytherin, of course, yet that wasn't the answer he was searching for either. He was all of the things she had thought of earlier; dangerous, cunning, savage, a bit bigoted... And also; intelligent, kind, funny, gentle... But none of those things were what he wanted from her. What could it possibly be?

Then it dawned on her and she whispered breathlessly. "You are my hero."

His lips pressed against hers again and he pushed her even harder into the wall. She could feel his erection pinned between their stomachs. This kiss wasn't anywhere near as lenient as the first. This time he kissed as if he was a man on fire and water poured from her lips. He slipped his tongue into her mouth and played a strange little dance with her own. All of this was new to her. The kisses with Viktor could never compare... Awkward and bumbling because she had no idea what she was doing. This wasn't anywhere near that. This was heat and passion and a longing she hadn't even known was there. She never wanted to stop.

So, of course, that was the moment he pulled away again.

Thankfully his lips slid along her jawline as he pulled his hands from the back of her neck. Slowly they moved down her body, feeling the delicate velvet that was like a second skin on her. Down over her collarbone, breasts and stomach. Until they rested on her hips and his lips started working the tender flesh on the side of her neck. She couldn't stop the soft moan that escaped from between her lips as she tilted her head to the side, allowing him better access. Her own hands that had been hanging uselessly at her sides wrapped around his shoulders. Holding him to her, she didn't want him pulling away again when he was in the middle of making her feel so damned wonderful.

Adrenaline pumped in her veins, she was unable to believe this was happening. Not a single thing from this night seemed like it could be real. Maybe she would wake up tomorrow and it would all have been a dream. She clutched at Draco harder at the thought, causing him to start rubbing his thumbs in circles on the inside curves of her hips, right where the velvet turned to tulle. She moaned again, biting her bottom lip to moderate the volume, not caring about the pinch of pain any longer.

"So fucking sexy." He whispered in her ear before turning his attention on her earlobe. Nibbling and licking the sensitive nerve bundles. She wished that the skirt of her dress wasn't so full. It was just in the way now and all that she wanted to do was thrust forward and cause some friction against the one place she needed it most. If they were not in the middle of a hallway she wondered if she would go even further than this already taboo circumstance. If he kept making her feel like this she bet she would go all the way. She didn't even care if that made her a "slut".

Without warning, he tore his body away from hers and took a few steps back until there was a decent amount of space between them. His breathing was harsh as he ran his hand through his hair glancing over at her out of the corner of her eye. Hermione leaned forward at the loss of contact. She hadn't been prepared for him to pull away so quickly. What had she done wrong?

Immediately the reason for the departure made itself known to her senses. Footsteps... Someone was coming!

What in the hell were they going to do?!...


	12. Chapter Eleven

Draco turned and started to walk down the corridor, away from the sounds of footsteps and leaving her to deal with whomever came. Considering how deep they were into Gryffindor territory she could not blame him for wanting to get out of there as quickly as possible. Hermione stayed where she was, leaning against the wall and breathing hard. She watched as he slipped into the darkness, so much like a snake it was eerily creepy.

As soon as his frame disappeared into the darkness their unexpected visitor turned the corner.

She had figured it was probably a Prefect doing rounds or even a teacher checking on things. She wouldn't get in trouble being a Prefect herself, so she wasn't too worried about any consequences from being out after curfew. No, she had been much more worried over the possibility of getting caught anywhere near Draco. That would have caused too many questions she was not even remotely prepared to answer.

So she was surprised when she saw the flaming red hair of her best girlfriend bounce into view. " _Ginny?!_ "

"Merlin! Hermione? What are you doing standing out here?" Ginny asked her accusatorially. Her dark brown eyes narrowed at her, taking in her appearance, before they darted down the way Draco had just fled.

"I was just getting back." Hermione responded, trying to act as casual as she could. "Where were you?"

"Oh you know... Off doing super secret Quidditch stuff." She said with one of her characteristic winks before she grabbed Hermione's arm and pulled her away from the wall. Leading her towards the portrait of the Fat Lady. "So tell me every single detail girl! No wait... Tell me it was the most _amazing_ night of you life and you ran off with some poor unsuspecting fool and finally lost your virginity."

She baulked at how close Ginny was to the truth. She hadn't lost her virginity, but it was still way too close for comfort. Swallowing loudly she shifted her gaze to the floor, she wasn't ready to talk about any of it yet. It registered just how much she had been counting on those hours before breakfast to come up with some kind of plan...

"Hardly." She responded. What was she supposed to say? She couldn't offer up any information because she still wasn't sure what she was going to tell everyone. Somehow she had to tell the truth about what happened at the party, that was going to be Castle Chatter for weeks, at least among the older years. Yet she still had hours of time that she needed to account for. And a bruise on the side of her forehead that warranted a reason. "Look Gin. I'm sorry but I am exhausted. Can we do this in the morning, please?"

Ginny instantly deflated at her words and nodded. "Yeah... Sure. You okay?"

"Baubles." Hermione hissed at the Fat Lady, who was pretending to be asleep. She didn't have time for the woman's games tonight. Thankfully she let them in without a fuss. They tip-toed into the common room and made their way over to the staircase that led to the girls dorms by the barely there light given off by the moon and dying fire. Once encased in the enchantments she whispered to her friend. "I will be."

"Alright then. Talk to you tomorrow, I guess." Ginny told her before heading off to her room.

She let out the breath she held in for way too long. Grateful that the light headed feeling caused by the act started to ebb, she slowly made her way to the room she shared with the other Gryffindor Sixth Years. Once at the door she slipped inside as quietly as she could and made her way over to her bed.

Her mind was so wrapped up in her conundrum her body went on auto pilot, she undid the clasps that kept the dress on her body and felt it fall to the ground. She knew the velvet would crinkle but she could not bring herself to care. She climbed into her bed and pulled the curtains around her. Laying there under her warm blankets that she pulled up to her chin, she had all the intentions in the world to stay up to figure out her story, but fell asleep almost immediately with pictures of Draco leaning over her playing in her head...

 **-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-**

Hermione clung to the dream she was having. She did not want to wake up! It was so nice here, finishing off where her little tryst last night had ended. She sighed softly and went to turn over, hoping she would be able to slip back under and join her hero in Dreamland. Her knee hit something solid and she bolted upright in bed at the same moment Ginny had let out a squeal, "You are so boney! Gods Hermione, here I was tryin' to be nice and bring you some breakfast!"

"Bloody Biscuits Ginny! You scared me!" She gasped, her hand over her rapidly beating heart. She realized that she was practically nude from the waist up and pulled the blanket to her collarbone. It was a successful attempt to cover her breasts and the scar that wrapped around her left side and worked its way down towards her belly button.

"Obviously... Here." Her friend offered her a cup of steaming tea, holding her own in the other hand. She took it and sipped the piping hot liquid down with a soft moan. Caffeine... Ginny didn't say anything as Hermione drank down half her cup. As always she let her be. She didn't ask her anything, even though knowing the girl, she was chomping at the bit to hear her version of the story. She had to of heard the gossip down in the Great Hall when she had picked up breakfast to bring back here.

"How long have you been waiting for me to wake up?" Hermione finally asked, trying to wiggle as much time as she could before having to lie. Something she very rarely did with Ginny, it had to be something extremely important for her not to share.

"How long have I been sittin' here? Or how long have I been waitin' for you to wake up?" Ginny asked her with a smirk. She couldn't help but notice that she kept sliding back into losing her 'g's, a habit picked up from her family that she was trying very hard to break.

Hermione snorted at that. Typical Ginny to stay up all night worrying about her after finding out that the party had been a bust. Probably imagined way worse than what had actually happened as well. She hoped she hadn't hexed anyone when she had heard the story. Depending on who the poor soul was they very well could have ended up on the wrong end of a brutal Bat Boogey Hex...

Ginny sighed and leaned back against the post of her bed. She let the back of her head rest on the worn chestnut wood as her fingers ran around the rim of her tea cup absentmindedly. Molly had mentioned to Hermione that it was something she had done since the time she could start drinking the stuff. She liked to be on the go so sitting still had always been an issue for her. A natural instinct for her that helped hone her Quidditch skills. That fact made it all the more special that she would stop and go slow for Hermione. People like Dean Thomas and Katie Bell were more her speed but Ginny continuously chose to be there for her.

"Well, out with it... What have you heard?" She questioned eyeing the pastries Ginny had set next to her leg on her bed.

The girl's eyes instantly flashed full of fury, even though Hermione had expected the anger it still was surprising in its intensity. She answered irritably, almost flinging the rambling words out of her mouth. "Oh you know... Little Miss Li was bragging to her little group of Cornish Pixies this morning. Somethin' bout you bein' a childish wannabe who couldn't even hack it an hour before runnin' away like a babe, but it was kinda hard to tell... What with her head swellin' double the size from the Engorgio Skullus hex I sent her way. I have to spend the next _four_ weeks in detention with McGonagall. It was without a doubt worth it though! She is even gonna work around my schedule with Quidditch practice and Slughorn's party and... Yeah... She was more worried about how you were holdin' up. I think a lot of people are. Heck, the way it's goin' out there you might expect a letter from Mum by tonight."

Hermione groaned loudly, as Ginny pushed her favorite apple turnover towards her, trying to distract her from how bad it was. Some of the Professors had even heard. Oh Gods! She definitely was not hungry anymore. She just stared down at the treat unable to think of leaving the confines of her bed.

Ginny rubbed her bare shoulder in small circles, trying unsuccessfully to calm her down. She really did need to get ahold of her emotions before she was sent into a second panic attack in such a short amount of time. That and she couldn't lose it like that in front of the poor girl who was only the deliverer of the news.

Especially not if she was going to continue to be the strong one for her, Harry and Ron. She was the one that they came to when they needed a shoulder, there were times that the imminent war's pressures beat down on them, but it was never the other way around. She wouldn't allow them to see her that way again... Not after last summer when they witnessed an attack after a terrible nightmare while she was recovering from the curse. She had sworn she would never cause that kind of terror for them again. So she bottled it up as much as possible and snuck away when it finally overwhelmed. The rest of her extra time was spent planning.

Planning for any outcome that she possibly could. Right now she was working on figuring out how to cast a massive Expendable Charm. She would then be able to turn something as innocuous a purse into a literal library and underground bunker all rolled into one. They might have to go on the run one day and being stranded with nothing was not a possibility. Especially if Harry was there...

A tremble in her hand caused her to come back from her introspection and she did the only thing that she could at moments like that. She bottled up her emotions and turned toward the blissful numbness instead, which allowed her to give Ginny a crooked smile. "You know, I should lecture you about harming another student but that bitch deserved it."

"Yup" Ginny said, popping the p as she pushed the pastry even closer to her. Not nagging but the movement sent a clear enough message. Her stare zeroed on her darkened temple before narrowing. "Did she give you that bruise? She didn't say anything about deckin' you."

"What? No! I fell... When I ran away. So what time is it?" Hermione answered evasively, hoping she could steer the conversation away from the obvious time lapse into more neutral territory.

"Eleven and I have to be at McGonagall's office 'promptly at Noon'." Ginny said in a pretty good imitation of their Professor.

"I am sorry Gin, but maybe this will get you to stop going around and hexing people." She said knowing any Prefect responsibility she had to lecture her was now slyly covered.

"Yeah, yeah." She said dismissively. Ginny took the last drink from her cup and sighed. "I have to go finish my Transfiguration homework that was so rudely interrupted last night, but this conversation isn't over Missy. Eventually I will be freed from the tyrannical Head of Gryffindor House and you are gonna tell me why you were lurkin' around in the dark at three o'clock in the morning. You got that?"

"Sure. Whatever you say." Hermione told her. Knowing she wouldn't leave until she agreed to divulge all her secrets.

The only girl that she could call a true friend stood up and took both their tea cups (along with her own pastry) and walked to the door. Before leaving she turned around and nodded vaguely in the direction of the common room. "They are worried about you too 'Mione. You should probably let them know you are okay eventually."

It was her turn to use the dismissive- "Yeah, yeah."

Ginny rolled her eyes and said. "You know they care about you. Don't hold their stupidness against them. They are just _boys_ after all."

"Okay Ginny. I will, I promise." Hermione surrendered.

"Good." Her reply fleeting as she turned and left Hermione alone.

She sat there in the deafening silence. At least she had a few days of reprieve before having to deal with lying to Ginny. Between the new detentions and Quidditch practice she should have a good two or three days before she would start hunting her down. Now she just needed to dowas deal with Harry and Ron... And the rest of the Hogwarts student body... And even some her teachers...

She groaned and pulled the blanket over head she before slid back down into bed. This was so humiliating...

How was she going to find the courage to face them?


	13. Chapter Twelve

Harry and Ron were situated at their favorite spot in the common room... In front of the fireplace. Both their heads were down scribbling away on the parchments spread out underneath them. They obviously had not gotten the essays done last night and she highly doubted that they had even tried to work on them at all yesterday. They should be thankful she had made them wait, it gave them an excuse to actually work on their assignments...

She stood there and watched as the fire made shadows play across their faces, making them seem much more frightening than they really were. Or maybe that was just the way her mind had built up the coming conversation? The good news was by Ginny's assessment they were worried. That could very well play in her favor. Neither of them were not likely to yell if they wanted news that she was okay.

Hermione stepped up to where they lounged on the ground in front of the hearth and cleared her throat. It was time to get it over with... There was no good reason to prolong her agony at wondering what their reaction would be.

Her heartbeat just as hard as it had when she thought Zabini was bringing her over to a full group of Slytherins. Maybe even harder. She had thought she knew what to expect when it came to the snakes, which had turned out to be the furthest thing from true.

Lions on the other hand were tried and true with how they accepted or fought against something. Ferocious and rather loud, they all had no issues voicing their opinions on any given subject. Especially if it felt wrong to them. Sometimes the line between being noble about their morals bordered on the line on annoying. And she was one of them! She could only imagine how they came off to the other Houses... Without a doubt they could all be quite crass, ostentatious and incorruptible wannabe saviors.

She sat down in her usual chair, a cushy maroon number with a winged back that reminded her of her Dad's favorite chair at home. It was a small connection to her previous life. Back before she had found out she was a witch and she was no longer home to watch him relax every night. They both would cuddle up with their respective books while her Mum did needle point... She blinked back the tears at how much she ached to be able to go back to that much a simpler time.

Harry spotted her and nudged Ron with his elbow, nodding at her when he looked at him annoyed from the interruption. They both sat their quills down and sat up so they could give her their undivided attention. Harry smiled at her reassuringly and asked. "How are you doing?"

"I am fine. Both Pansy and Malfoy have done way worse, right?" Hermione responded off-handedly. Better to pretend it didn't bother her. She could use the practice before having to meet the eyes of all the other students later at dinner.

"Right!" Ron said enthusiastically, probably grateful that she wasn't a sniveling mess. He never knew how to handle it when she let her emotions get the better of her. Which was admittedly too often...

Harry wasn't as easy to fool, he never had been. Even if he didn't always call her on it, he knew when she was upset by something. Usually he had so much going on himself that confrontation over something someone did not want to talk about was low on his radar of worries. Easier to just concentrate on saving the world. And she couldn't blame him, if she was in his position she doubted she would have been able to get up out of bed every morning, much less be a completely functional person.

He watched her closely for a few seconds but let it slide in favor of going back to his essay, completely ignoring the manuscript for the tiny little notes scribbled in the margins. She really thought he should turn the blasted thing in to Slughorn and use his copy instead. She didn't trust that book. It was wonderful that it was helping him get better grades. Especially since he wanted to be an Auror when they graduated, but a book with a mysterious owner who knew more as a student than experts in the field was fishy. The resemblance to Tom Riddle's Diary and Ginny was too much to ignore. Nothing good was going to come of it, but he wouldn't listen to her about her feelings on the matter.

Ron sat there looking pensive, as if he wanted to ask her something but was afraid of her reaction. With the way their relationship had been lately it wasn't a surprise. Both of them had found themselves hesitating before asking simple things. Afraid something innocuous would lead to another epic row between them.

"What is it Ron?" She asked him, not willing to play the delicate game today.

"Er... Well... What was it like? Ya know, before Sue went rabid?" He asked fumbling over his words, unsure of how his question would be received.

Hermione stared over into the fire, not wanting to make eye contact with either of them. She watched the low flames flicker as it gave off a comfortable warmth that spread through out the large room. A nervous sweat broke out across her palms and she rubbed them against the thighs of her jeans before shrugging. "It was... "

Horrifying. Fun. Embarrassing. Awkward. Shocking. Her mind screamed out different descriptive words... But most of all, it had been... _Transformative_. Or at least what had happened afterwards had been. She couldn't tell them that though. So she settled for a sigh and some fidgeting before trying again. "It was exactly what we always thought. A bunch of pompous prats sitting around and getting drunk. I regret wasting my time that would have been better spent cleaning dust from the bottom of my trunk. After Sue figured out who I was I snuck into the restricted section and did some more digging on who your little friend could be Harry... Still no leads."

Harry rolled his eyes but continued on with his work. She knew he wouldn't want another lecture and would straight out ignore her if she kept it up. Now it was just getting Ron to drop it and she would be good to go back up to her bed and stay there until dinner when she would have to make another appearance to stop anyone from thinking Sue had gotten to her.

She leaned her head against the winged partition of the chair, already tired enough for a nap even though she hadn't been up for a full two hours yet. After Ginny left she had gone ahead and had a good cry before she ate the pastry that was left for her, charmed her bruise to disappear and hung around her dorm until she thought the boys had to be close to sending a younger year up to find her.

"Well that sucks 'Mione. Hopefully it blows over soon and stuff can get back to normal." Ron said looking at her sympathetically.

"I am sure it will." She responded as watched him pick up his quill and continue scratching away at his messy work. Her eyes drifted to read one of the paragraphs upside down. "Seriously Ron... It's two counter-clockwise turns. Not three. How you can mess up copying off of someone else will always be a mystery to me."

He looked hurt at her words but she couldn't take them back now. And it was the truth... She watched as he crossed out the incorrect answer and etched in the correct one, his face an unattractive shade of tomato. Feeling guilty she stood up and stretched before heading back towards the staircase to her dorm. She didn't offer up any farewells. They would probably assume she was worried about how tonight would go. While they were not necessarily wrong that wasn't where her distractible mind was.

Once back in the solitary solace of her dorm she climbed back into her bed and pulled the blankets back up over head, intent on blocking out the world now that her responsibilities were fulfilled. Her mind wandered back to the moment that Ron had blushed... She couldn't help but compare the goofy boy to the confident man who had stood over her last night. He would have told her to bugger off... No that wasn't true. He would have never gotten the question wrong in the first place.

She sighed as the replay of the delectably taboo kiss started across the back of her eyelids... And she once again fell asleep to visions of her hero.

 **-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-**

That night at dinner was not as bad as she had imagined it would be. There was many a snicker and bowed head conversing in gossip when she walked by but no one said anything to her. Probably afraid of being on the receiving end of another one of Ginny's hexes. The girl was dangerous. She was light hearted and fun to be around, but as the other student's should have known by then, not someone to mess with.

Hermione had kept her head high. Not allowing herself to look defeated. When she had looked over at the Ravenclaw table she noticed that Sue was not there. Depending on how potent of a hex she had been hit with it could be days before her head was back to normal size. Something she took a sick sense of satisfaction in. If only she had been the one to hex her. Of course there was still time for that if she ever got the chance...

Blaise, Pansy and Theodore Nott had all huddled up and started whispering when she had walked in but Draco was mysteriously absent. Something she wasn't sure she should have even noticed. She didn't need to start an obsession on where Draco Malfoy was at any given moment. It was not any of her business and she needed to keep it that way. The whole repetitive repeat of their stolen moments thing was enough of a mind fuck to deal with.

That night she was doing her rounds, checking to make sure the corridors were clear of students down by the kitchens. Hufflepuffs were not notorious for sneaking out like Slytherins and Gryffindors but it happened enough that it was worth the occasional walk around their "turf". Usually if she was going to catch anyone it was an older year trying to sneak back into their common room after a rendezvous with a member of the opposite sex. Or the same (depending on which how the offender swung).

She was humming a muggle song that was pretty popular that summer when she had spent time with her parents.

 _It felt like springtime on this February morning._  
 _In a courtyard birds were singing your praise._  
 _I'm still recalling things you said to make me feel alright._  
 _I carried them with me today._

Her head swayed from side to side on beat to the imaginary music.

 _Now, as I lay me down to sleep._  
 _This I pray that you will hold me dear._  
 _Though I'm far away._  
 _I'll whisper your name into the sky,_  
 _And I will wake up happy._

She let herself get lost in the song, running her fingers along the cold stone walls at her side as she walked.

 _I wonder why I feel so high._  
 _Though I am not above the sorrow._  
 _Heavy hearted, till you call my name._  
 _And it sounds like church bells,_  
 _Or the whistle of a train._  
 _On a summer evening, I'll run to meet you,_  
 _Barefoot barely breathing._

Her fingers lost purchase and found air as she passed the doorway to an alcove with a suit of armor inside.

 _As I lay me down to sleep._  
 _This I pray that you will hold me de..._

Suddenly a hand was around her mouth and nose. Stopping her from being able to scream. She reached for her wand but an arm quickly wrapped all the way around her body, right at the elbows. It yanked her back against a hard chest, pinning her arms to her sides. She felt herself being pulled back into the dark little nook. There was a section of space between the wall and the Knight that inhabited it, just enough for two bodies to fit undetected.

She needed to think quickly to get out of this one, but the only the only thing that she could think of was what she must have done to deserve this. The past two days had been nothing but a string of bad luck... She knew that thought process wasn't going to save her from this attack.

But what would?

 **-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-**

 _Ahhhhhh! What has our girl done to piss off Karma so badly? Who do you think is the mysterious attacker?_

 _Leave me your thoughts down below! Pretty Please! I couldn't stop myself from posting this chapter right away. It was meant for tomorrow but oh wellz... I don't have the next chapter written up yet so if you leave me a better idea then what I have in mind I just might use it! For those of you reading in the future, leave your guesses before going to the next chapter. I love reading them!_

 _As Always..._

 _Much love,_  
 _SlytherclawLuv_

 _Song Credit Goes to:_  
 _Sophie B. Hawkins for her song, "As I Lay Me Down". At least until it was rudely interrupted..._

 _Disclaimer: I still don't own the universe or characters that were created by the wonderful J.K. Rowling. Still not making a cent... Blah, blah blah..._


	14. Chapter Thirteen

Hermione's mind slowly registered the danger she was in. It caught up with what was happening and instinctively she bit down on the palm that was smashed roughly against her mouth. She didn't bite down hard enough to draw blood, though she did think about it. There was no reason to seriously injure anyone, even if they were attacking her. Better to let their Head of House decide the consequences... Once she was able to get away.

Her mind ran through all of the self defense books she had studied up on the summer after Third Year, when she had realized that her life was going to continue to be anything but ordinary because of her association with Harry. She slammed the heel of her left foot across the toes of her attacker.

He cried out, "Holy Harpies Granger. I just wanted to _talk_!"

She whipped around and pointed her wand at his throat. Ready to cast Stupify if she needed to. Slowly her eyes adjusted to the darkness inside the alcove and she glared at the shadowed figure of Blaise Zabini. "What in the actual hell do you think you are doing?!"

He raised his hands, showing her he didn't have his own wand handy and was telling the truth about his intentions before he reiterated, "Just want to talk..."

She lowered her wand but kept it ready at her hip as she glanced over her shoulder to make sure no one was watching. A newly acquired nervous habit since hanging out with Slytherins had become a new part of her life, apparently. When she looked back at the womanizer standing in front of her she raised an eyebrow. "You do know asking to speak to someone works much better than trying to kidnap them right?"

"I was not trying to _kidnap_ you. I just had something I needed to say and I didn't think you would show up to any type of summons from me." Blaise answered in response to her sarcasm.

She bowed her head in acknowledgement that his guess rang true. She wouldn't have met up with him, especially not in a private setting. Her first thought would have been it being a trap or even worse... An attempt at getting into her panties based on inaccurate assumptions. "You have my attention. What did you need to tell me that you were desperate enough to attack me in the middle of the night?"

He winced at her assessment of his actions, but did not argue with her. Probably because he knew that she spoke the truth. She watched as uncertainty overcame his features, not a trace of the usual bad boy playfulness to be found. He cleared his throat and looked her in the eye for the first time that night. "I wanted to apologize for Sue's behavior last night."

What? Had she heard him correctly? Was a Slytherin admitting to wrongdoing? Much less against her? Merlin... Things were just getting weirder and weirder. Her eyes narrowed at the sincerity that rang out in his words. And he meant it?!

"Uhhhh... Okay?" Hermione said brilliantly.

"Look... I get it. I do. She was a horrid little wench, okay? And I just wanted you to know that I let her know that after you left. Told her I would never entertain such trash. I could not stand the thought of you thinking I condone such behavior. I mean... I know you must think that because I am a Slytherin I do not have limits. And I could not blame you for that notion considering. But I do... I used to tell Draco and Pansy to leave you alone all the time, not that it ended up doing any good... I guess... I just wanted you to know that we are not _all_ horrible conniving prats you know? I honestly did not know who you were. I wasn't a part of any conspiracy against you. I swear... Look at me rambling on, I am going to quit talking now." He rushed out guffawing at himself at the end.

Once again she found herself overwhelmed by the straightforwardness. She doubted that she had ever heard so many words said to her by a Slytherin without there being an insult thrown in. Draco wasn't even able to say that much without having to turn to silence to stop the snake from having his way. And this was the first time she had heard mention of a conspiracy? She couldn't stop the smirk that crossed her lips as the Twilight Zone theme song started to play in her head. It triggered Blaise to think that she had not taken his words seriously, so he went to start up again...

"I know, I know..." He got out before Hermione interrupted him by clearing her throat.

"Thank you. That was... uh... sweet of you. You know... For a nasty vile Slytherin that is." She joked, hoping she would set his mind at ease that way she could carry on about her business. It was time for her world to go back to normal. Not for it to keep throwing Slytherins in her path to mess with her head... At that point she would not have been surprised if Pansy burst out from around the next corner and offered to braid her hair.

He let out a sigh of relief at her attempt at camaraderie. "Thank you Granger. I had this compulsion to let you know that not all Slytherins are the same. Some of us are milkies hidden among the corals."

He was, of course, referencing how milk snakes and coral snakes were nearly indistinguishable. One of the only ways to tell between the two species was the coloring variations in their scaling patterns. The coral snake's being red, yellow, black, yellow with a black head. While the milk snake's was black, red, black yellow with a red head. Oh and the coral snake was known to be extremely venomous... So his comparison made sense in a way that had her imagining a slithering mass of the creatures, causing goosebumps broke out across her arms.

"Well... Thanks for that too, I guess..." She told him, still unsure on how needing to tell her that constituted covering her mouth and dragging her into a dark corner.

"You know since I have you in here..." Blaise said with his best attempt at being jokingly alluring. He must have been uncomfortable now that he realized what he had done and was reverting back to his playboy humor to save face.

"Nope!" Hermione said, popping the p just like Ginny did. She shook her head at him before she continued. "I do not have the time to play these games with you Mr. Zabini. And if I were you I'd be heading back to my dorm. That way I wouldn't have a certain Professor at my door in the morning asking questions about how you accosted a Prefect."

"Ouch!" He responded with a shrug of his shoulders. "Your loss."

"I am sure... Have a wonderful night! Don't make me regret my decision to send you off with only a warning okay?" She asked him, a small smile playing on her lips so he knew he didn't have to be worried. Not that he had seemed too scared by the threat in the first place...

"Good Night and Farewell M'Lady." Blaise said with a bow before slipping around her and heading off in the direction of the dungeons.

She sighed and shook her head again, this time in outright disbelief. She gathered her wits and started back on her trek through the Hufflepuff's domain. Once she was done she would be able to switch shifts with Ron and go back to her warm bed. The place that was fast becoming her escape. Somewhere she could forget everything going on and sleep. No worries about the chaotic mess her life had turned into. No dwelling on hastily made fricking decisions.

She replayed the conversation with Blaise in her head again and again. The one sentence that jumped out at her was the milk snakes cohabitating with corals. It was easy to figure out who he meant were the corals. The Blood Purists. The ones who wanted to infect their venom throughout the rest of the Wizarding World by any means necessary. Including following a mad man.

That was all scary enough.

Yet why did she have such a hard time getting the concealed black mamba in their mists out her mind? She could not help shuddering at the thought.

 **-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-**

In her dream that night Draco, the real Draco stood there frozen in the moment he had looked back at her out of the corner of his eye. Suddenly he transformed into the deadliest known snake on the planet and slithered down the corridor... She awoke and had to scream into her pillow so she did not wake her dorm mates. In the dead of night she vowed to keep the Death Eater's son from her thoughts. And when she finally fell back asleep all she could do was hope she would fulfill the promise to herself...

 **-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-**

By the time Wednesday night had rolled around things had pretty much gotten back to normal. Other than the sneers when she passed and an occasional taunt thrown her way when Ginny was not around... But her friends had stopped looking at her like a kicked puppy dog and she was fairly certain she would be getting an A on both the Potions and Ancient Runes essays. Yes, as normal as things got for her.

Hermione had been sitting in the far back corner of the library surrounded by tombs on old family trees, still trying to find something about Harry's Halfblood Prince. It was tricky because there had been many Halfblood Princes throughout Europe after King Arthur died and all the way up into the last century. None of them had gone to Hogwarts though, instead they were either homeschooled or sent abroad.

Frustrating to say the least, but she liked it back there. No one ever bothered her. It was sporadic at best that a student had need for the books that were covered in thick sheets of dust. From the unusual signs of disuse she doubted Madam Pince even made it this way much...

She had just gotten done returning "The Last Known Gareia" by Ottilie Rickenshaw back on the shelf when an origami kitten jumped up on the shelf next to her. It sat down on its haunches before unfolding into a normal looking note. She stared at the piece of parchment before resorting to checking over her shoulder.

No one was there. Of course there wasn't... She slowly turned back to the note and picked it up. Taking a deep breath before breaking the generic seal with her finger allowed for a few seconds of procrastination. As soon as it laid open in her grasp her eyes rushed over the elegantly scrawled contents-

 _There once was a fierce dragon that knew only despair._  
 _And a princess who had remained untainted from the pain of his world._  
 _The dragon grew jealous of this beautiful princess._  
 _Unable to control himself he lashed out at her kingdom._  
 _He burned her castle to the ground and murdered all of her subjects._  
 _She was terrified of the beast. And rightfully so._  
 _One day he decided that it was not enough._  
 _Even though he had taken everything she had loved. He was not satisfied._  
 _He went to the princess intent on delivering a death blow._  
 _When the terrified princess saw the dragon she did not run._  
 _She stood and stared at the foul beast unwilling to show her fear._  
 _As she stared she noticed things about the dragon._  
 _For the first time she saw the scars that were seared into his body using the brands._  
 _She saw the pain of his world and she wept for the dragon._  
 _He was baffled by the maiden's tears and stopped in his tracks._  
 _No one had ever cried for the dragon before. Not once in his extremely long life._  
 _They only scorned and tortured him for his origins._  
 _The young and trustful princess walked up the dragon._  
 _And she was the first to show him a kind touch._  
 _The dragon cried for the pain and terror he had brought to such a kind creature._  
 _Feeling the beast's pain the princess leaned forward and kissed one of the scars._  
 _As if by magic the dragon transformed into a man._  
 _A hero who had been cursed by an evil sorcerer hundreds of years before the princess' time._  
 _Unknowingly her act of kindness in the face of fear had broken the spell._  
 _The hero spent the rest of his life showing her his gratitude._  
 _He rebuilt her kingdom. And slayed any beast who threatened them._  
 _But it was never enough to claim the princess' heart for his own._  
 _For he had taken far too much and understanding was one thing._  
 _While forgiveness was another._

-Meet me where Rowena's Daughter cries. Tonight at 11.

She easily deduced who the note was from, but how could she go and meet him?!

 **-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-**

 _Just so everyone here knows... I am on the waiting list to get accepted over at Archive of Our Own. I have an estimated acceptance date of June 10th (2018). I decided to go through with it for two reasons:_

 _1) I am getting suspicious activity in my traffic stats lately._

 _2) I do plan to follow the rules here so there will not be any descriptive SEX in this version of the story. I will go into detail about kissing/make out sessions and do a fade to black style chapter break, but for the more detailed chapters you will have to go over there. The story will not change at all between the two versions, just the naughty bits. ;)_

 _Hope you all are having an awesome night!_

 _As always..._

 _Much love,_  
 _SlytherclawLuv_


	15. Chapter Fourteen

Hermione stood in the tiny outdoor garden. It was covered in snow. Even the scraggly branches of the rose bushes barely peeked out from under the blanket of white. It was surprisingly calm for being smack dab in the middle of the castle. There were no sounds of the normal habitation that she had grown accustomed to. No sounds of Prefects' or Professors' shoes hitting the stone as they went about their rounds. No scurrying of feet from the different animal companions allowed within the school. No clank of old pipes working. No portraits muttering under their breaths.

It was so peaceful...

She broke out in a smile as the first few snowflakes of the coming storm fell around her. She was wrapped up tightly in her winter coat, a belted trench that was a deep dark brown. A hat she had knitted sat on her head and mittens covered her chilled hands, both in the Gryffindor colours of maroon and gold. She had known to come prepared for the weather as soon as she figured out which spot Malfoy had wanted to meet at. The Gray Lady came here to cry when she was feeling mournful about her death, which was still a mystery to all of the students. Very few even knew that she was Rowena Ravenclaw's daughter. She was not the most vocal of Hogwarts' ghosts, preferring to wander the castle and would disappear if anyone started asking her too many questions.

The witch started humming "Jingle Bells" under breath as she waited. She loved the Holidays and this year she was making a point to spend it with her parents. If Voldermort and his minions got their way it was the last she would ever have with them. She was not going to waste it. Harry and Ron would be spending it with the Weasleys at the Burrow. The offer had been extended to her also, but she could not accept knowing the circumstances of this Holiday season.

All she wanted was a simple Christmas at home. She had made plans for the coming summer to make sure that her parents were safe from the Death Eaters' grasps, but she might lose them forever if she did anything wrong... So she wasn't willing to give up what could be some of her last moments with them... She shook her head, trying to clear it of the melancholy thoughts that swirled around and bumped into each other. It was a sacrifice she had to make. Their lives were more important then her sentimentality. If the other side won, she would have no way to protect them. It was only fair for her to do what she had to.

Reaching up she rubbed her covered hands against her arms, trying to warm herself as she waited. He should be showing up any moment now. It was close to eleven...

She blinked when a snowflake landed on her eyelash and melted. Her mind ran over the contents of the note again. Maybe all of this was a trap? For all she knew a group of Malfoy's friends were converging in as she stood there like an imbecile. Ready to hex her into oblivion.

Not all of the Slytherins were milk snakes after all.

Her brain conjured up the image that had been from her nightmares. The ones from before she had experienced real battle... The whole lot Slytherins from her year gathered around her, their wands raised while she stood in the middle of the group nearly defenseless. Her own wand held useless at her side. It was little help against that many assailants... She felt her heartbeat pick up at the imaginary threat as anxiety started to flow through her veins, causing her to need to take slow deep breaths to get herself back under control. She could not let another anxiety attack ruin her night. She had plans to get some answers.

Why had Malfoy invited her here? What had he done to her that caused thoughts of him to consume every free moment she had? Why had his little story talked about understanding and forgiveness? Two things she did not want to give when it came to the cocky prat! Even if there was some stranger underneath the icy exterior, how did that negate the fact that he routinely harassed her?

While she had stood there after reading the note she was struck with an intense need to crumple the note and throw it in the trash, instead she had neatly folded it and slipped it into her pocket. After cleaning up after herself, she had gone back to her dorm room with every intention of ignoring the summons. But... As the hours ticked by her resolve had fallen flat.

She wanted to see the boy again. The note had solidified that she wasn't insane, it had happened. A question that she had wondered to herself too many times in the preceding days. She wanted so badly to believe that the Draco he had shown to her was real...

So she had gotten herself dressed in a pair of comfortable jeans and a loose knit red jumper. She left her hair wild, knowing that the hat was a necessity. If he wanted to see her he would have to accept the real her. Not the fake seductress caricature that Ginny had made her into.

Hermione worried her bottom lip. He should have been there by now. What was taking so long? Maybe he would not show at all. That could be the game he was playing with her... Send what amounted to a love note and let her freeze waiting for his pompous ass that would never end up coming.

She shook her head at her dupable foolishness and sighed. The snow had picked up more making the open garden transform into an enchanted winter wonderland. How muggles could doubt the existence of magic when it was all around them baffled her. _This_ was magic. The conception of a new life was magic. The unyielding love your parents gave you was magic. And its very existence in your life (and subsequent mastery of) all depended on if you were born with the gene to be able to wield it.

She stepped back under one of the four archways that served as entrances and watched the fresh snow wipe any evidence of intrusion from the garden. Minutes before there had been multiple tracks from students using the center point as a shortcut. Since each archway and subsequent corridor led to hidden alcoves somewhere near each House's common rooms, you could cut a good ten minutes from any walk.

Oddly no windows in the whole castle could actually see the garden, helping to keep it one of the better kept secrets of Hogwarts. Hermione wasn't sure why the founders had gone to such lengths to make such a beautiful space that each House had easy access to if they didn't want people to be able to see it. But the anonymity made perfect sense on why Draco had chosen this spot. No one would stumble across their meeting.

When he didn't show up, it would prove the amount of thought he had to of put into the set up. Oh yes, it was incredibly smart to use the imaginative short story with a secret rendezvous point all thought out and hand delivered by the pet name he had called her that night. He was more than smart... He had a devious cleverness to him that was terrifying. He was actually diabolical.

Standing absolutely still she watched as the snow fell for a few more minutes before resigning herself to the fact that she had indeed gotten played. Hermione Granger was yet again the butt of another joke. She bet that he and his little cronies were having a right time laughing about it at that exact moment. Granger the stupid Gryffindor, dumb enough to think any thing had changed. Of course it hadn't. She was just a Mudblood after all.

She blinked back the tears that threatened to fall from her lids. She wouldn't cry for the wanker. It was probably what he was counting on and she would not give him the satisfaction. At least not in a public place. Sighing she went to turn around to leave. There was no use in standing around in the cold for no reason... And slammed right into another body. When she tried to take a step back to apologize, her heel made purchase with a chunk of ice. She felt herself starting to slide but a strong hand reached out and grabbed her elbow stopping the fall.

As luck would have it, she looked up into the steely eyes of her savior at the same moment he chuckled and asked. "Where are you going Granger?"

Well shit, he had decided to come...

 **-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-**

 _It is a shorter chapter, I know. I promise to make it up to you in the next chapter. Should be up tonight or tomorrow!_

 _As Always..._

 _Much love,_  
 _SlytherclawLuv_


	16. Chapter Fifteen

Draco raised an eyebrow as she stared up at him silently, not answering his question. He was relaxed and very much the one she had hoped would come. Not the cold hard person that she had seen in the hallways. Or during classes and meals. Or walking in the hallways. Or pretty much any time her eyes had wandered his way over the course of the last few days...

He smiled down at her and asked again. "Don't leave me quivering in suspense. Where were you going?"

"I was going to go back to my dorm. I thought you were a no show." She told him truthfully.

"Ahh... That _does_ sound like something I would do, doesn't it?" He stated before letting go of where he had grabbed her arm to stop her fall. His hands were covered by leather gloves in a black that matched his double breasted long wool coat. He wasn't wearing a hat, leaving his hair to blow in the wind caused by the fast approaching storm.

She shrugged as she took a step back from him. Her mind was already racing from his close proximity, she needed to keep her head on straight so she could get to the bottom of why he had asked her here. Being that close had her worried she would be distracted by how good he smelled... Or how his eyes seemed to echo the storm outside when he met her gaze... Or how all she wanted was a replay of the other night... She shook her head, trying to focus.

The movement caused some of her curls to fall from behind her shoulders. Almost instantaneously the wind picked up the rebellious hair and wildly tried to rip it from the confines of her hat. When the gust died down the curls settled across her cheek and lips. She didn't reach up to push them away, nor did she break eye contact with him. She had no clue how to start the conversation that she needed to have. Not with Draco Malfoy. If it had been anyone but him she wouldn't have had any qualms. He made her feel nervous... For more reasons than the obvious conundrums.

"You are not very talkative tonight..." He observed, as he reached up with a hooked finger and brushed the curls from her face for her. Flicking them back behind her shoulder where they belonged.

"I don't know what to say." She responded with the truth again, having nothing to gain with a lie.

"Say that you would like to go somewhere warmer?" Draco suggested.

Hermione could not stop the laugh that burst from her, somewhere warmer would be nice. "You are the one who came up with the idea to meet here. You should be the one to come up with the back up plan."

"Alright." He said simply with a shrug of his shoulders before turning around and starting back down the hall they had both come down. He walked with a purpose. His shoulders held back and his strides long, the natural air of confidence that he was known for exuded from him. She did not know how he could seem so calm while the world was going to hell in a handbasket...

She quickly caught up with him and matched his lengthy tread. It was a struggle to keep her head down and only occasionally sneak peeks at him out of the corner of her eye as she followed. She didn't have the faintest clue where he was taking her but the answer had her curiosity peaked. Between that and the questions that burned on her tongue about why he had asked her to meet, she had a hard time staying quiet.

He, on the other hand, acted as if this was all completely normal. Leaving her to wonder how often he made it a habit to sneak around the castle with people he supposedly hated...

They had been walking a decent amount of time before she finally caved and cleared her throat before asking. "What is it that you want Malfoy?"

Draco glanced over his shoulder at her but left her question unanswered. He continued on the path only he knew as she rushed to keep up with him. It was a surprise when he abruptly reached over and grabbed her elbow, pulling her into the first deserted classroom he came upon.

He closed the door quietly behind their entrance and turned to her. The cold Draco that she had anticipated sneered down at her and spit out. " _I want you to get the fuck out of my head_."

She stepped back at the venom in those simple words. Hadn't she been thinking the same thing earlier? How she wanted to know what he had done to her to make her thoughts consumed by him? Why did his anger threaten to kick up her own if she felt the exact same way?

Dumbfounded that he had been fighting the same struggle, she couldn't stop herself from whispering. "I know the feeling..."

That stopped him in his tracks. She watched him switch back into the boy she had came for, his eyes swirling with so much emotion it literally made her dizzy. There was anger, such an endless supply of rage- mixed with fear, longing and confusion. And a few others that came and went so quickly she couldn't even begin to adequately guess.

"Then why did you come?" He snapped his question at her, the razor sharp edge from his earlier words was lost. As if he wanted to be angry with her but could not hold on to the feeling.

She reached up and pulled the hat from her head, running her fingers along the stitches to give them something to do. Against all reason she realized she wanted to continue to tell him the truth. It wasn't like he was going to be able to turn around and tell someone about this anymore than she could. Yet that did not mean she wasn't scared out of her wits to be vulnerable with him.

A heavy sighed pushed its way from her lips before she answered. "A lot of reasons. Mostly I wanted to know who was going to show up. You know... The Draco from earlier who was sweet and stopped me from falling? Or the one who struggles to form a simply civil question my way? I guess I got the two for one deal, right?"

She couldn't help the vicious sneer that contaminated her features before she suddenly lashed out. Momentarily overtaken by her own defensive anger over past transgressions. "What about you? What could possibly make Prince Malfoy lower himself to willingly fraternize with a Filthy Mudblood? Hmmmm...?"

Draco stood there speechless. His jaw hung open at the shock of Hermione calling herself that name. He blinked a couple of times before groaning as if in pain. "Do _not_ call yourself that."

"Why not? That's what I am. There is no use denying." She challenged, not caring if she was nudging the snake. It was time for some answers.

He stepped up to her so there was barely half a foot between them and hissed at her. "I do not care what you are. You have no reason to be calling yourself that."

"Fine, then tell me why you wanted me to come. Why you would go to such effort to get me here..." Hermione hissed right back at him. She was unwilling to back down now. After all of the years of abuse at his hands he owed her an answer. She did not want to go on with her life always wondering why... If she knew she would be able to put this whole thing to rest. Move on and help Harry save the world like what had been written out for her.

"Because it's all a motherfucking _act_ Granger. Can't you see that? I have to be a certain way. I have to think a certain way. Did I buy into the Blood Purity bullshit when I was younger? Yes... But now... Now I don't get a choice in who I am going to be. I have already been cast as villain. I was fucking _raised_ to be a villain." He ranted at her. "And then you come along. The only one in this gods' forsaken place that can see that I might have the potential to be something more. Why did it have to be _you_?"

"I'm... I'm sorry?" She squeaked. Taken aback by his honesty, she hadn't been prepared for it and did not want to feel the guilt that came crashing down around her with his words.

She should have known better than to prod a snake. Nothing good ever came from it.

He instantly softened at her dazed reaction. His shoulders relaxed and he leaned forward slightly, trying to get her to look him in the eye again. When she refused, he reached down and cupped her chin, gently coaxing her, before he continued with a tone that was no longer harsh. "I do not want to be the dragon anymore... I do not want to repeat his mistakes."

The reference to his story sent a shiver of unease to run down her spine. She had no desire to end up being the hardened princess of that narrative... Why did everything have to be so damned complicated? Somehow she found herself in the center of a twisted version of Romeo and Juliet . She balked at the thought of how that had ended. Too much death and heartache for her liking.

He sighed before he whispered. "I wish I could be anyone... Anyone but me. That way I could be a hero that deserved you..."

"Whoever told you that you are just a dragon Draco? All I see standing in front of me is the person who helped when I needed it... _My hero_..."

That was all it took for his lips to close the distance between them and claim hers. She gasped against their conjoined lips, breathing in the taste of him again. It was everything that she had dreamt of from the first kiss mixed with an added hunger that hadn't been there before.

He slid the hat that hung limply from her fingers and tossed it on the table closest to them. He quickly wrapped his arms around her shoulders, pulling her tightly against his chest. The tops of her arms were stuck under his but she managed to bring her hands up to find purchase on the extra fabric of his coat. This allowed her to pull him forward so his hips pushed against her stomach. She smiled at the moan that sudden movement caused.

How he could make her feel so damned sexy with such a simple sound was mesmerizing. All she wanted was to stay right there, kissing him forever. Exploring this newfound intense need for more that had been awoken.

He gently pulled away far too soon for her liking and whispered in her ear. "Thank you."

"You should be thanking yourself. If you hadn't made the choice to save me I wouldn't even be here. Right Hero?" She pointed out, giving a playful tug on the coat that was still clenched tightly in her fingers.

"I will remember that... Come on Kitten. I think that is enough for one night..." Draco said as took a step back so she was forced to release her grasp. He quickly slipped a gloved hand into hers and tugged her forward, leading her towards the door.

 **-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-**

That night as she lay in bed after sneaking back in, she replayed the quiet walk back to her common room. Needing to stay quiet they hadn't spoken but their clasped hands seemed to speak loud enough. Neither wanted to be the one to break the physical connection. When they reached the darkened corner where their first steamy kiss had taken place, the corridor was just as deserted as the first time which granted them a whispered farewell.

"Would it be possible for you to meet me down by the Lake tomorrow night?" He had asked her.

"After rounds..." She hedged. It was much too cold for a repeat of standing in the cold waiting for him.

As if he could read her mind a smile flashed on his lips. "Great. I will be waiting"

Before she could say anything he had leaned down and pressed a shy peck to her lips before disappearing down the corridor, the same way he had that first night. It was eerily familiar and caused her to shudder at the memory of her nightmare from the other night. She had quickly headed back to her room and the sanctuary of her bed. There was no use dwelling on the bad when moments earlier she had been so happy.

Unable to fall asleep she wondered what it was exactly that he wanted to do down by The Great Lake in the middle of winter. She hoped it wasn't ice skating or even worse... Flying...

 **-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-**

 _I updated the chapter list! *High Five*_

 _Hope you all enjoyed this chapter. It was a hard one for me to write for some reason. I'm not exactly sure why, but I had to rewrite a few times. Crossing my fingers that it doesn't show too badly..._

 _Off to dreamland for me! Have an awesome night!_

 _As always..._

 _Much love,_  
 _SlytherclawLuv_


	17. Chapter Sixteen

She huffed out a loaded sigh of frustration. It was so cold out that she could see her breath. Ron could be such a prat sometimes! Blaming her for the argument during Prefect shift change... When he was the one upset by the fact that Hermione had agreed to go with Cormac McLaggen to Slughorn's stupid Christmas Party instead of him. She wasn't sure how he had found out so quickly, but he was under some grand delusion that she owed him an invite.

He even had the audacity to tell her that the only reason she had asked the bloke was because of his relationship with Lavender. When in actuality McLaggen had asked her to go as his "plus-one"! He had cornered her and started bragging about some of the higher ranking wizarding officials he would be able to introduce her to. She had agreed just to get him to stop talking...

The thought of asking Ron had not even crossed her mind considering he had an annoyingly slow girlfriend to worry about. Why did it matter who she decided to take with her? It wasn't like she liked Cormac like _that_... He was a pompous self-serving ass that she thought was a better fit for Slytherin than Gryffindor!

But Ron had always known how to push her buttons... When he implied that the only reason the invitation was extended was because the "douche" wanted into her panties, she had totally lost it on him. Told him that he must have been confusing her with his own loose girlfriend and stomped away. Leaving him to fester in his own rotten mind.

Hermione did not want to entertain the nasty things he would have said if she had been able to ask the person that she really wanted to...

 _The stupid git!_ She was not going to let him ruin her night.

She slowly worked her way down the trampled path, made by students earlier in the day, towards The Great Lake. While the wind had mercifully died down with the storm early that morning, it was still freezing out. Along with the added hindrance of tricky patches of ice hidden under the new snow to watch out for she had some high expectations for the evening to be worth the effort.

Eventually she made her way to the frozen coastline. Other students had already cleared a decent amount of snow to form a mock ice skating rink. It was a favorite past time in winter when there wasn't much else to do. Hermione preferred to stick to the warmth of the castle and her books. Where there was less of a chance of injury and the added benefit of not freezing. She scanned the barren landscape carefully, but Draco was nowhere to be found...

She stepped away from the ice and started to walk along the shore. He had said he would be here... He wouldn't leave her out in the cold for the second night in a row. Would he? Not really paying attention as she walked she was preoccupied with the thought of all the different hexes she was going to use if he didn't show up. The sound of snow crunching under the soles of her boots barely making its way to her ears over the frenzied rant inside of her head.

Slowly the stillness of her surroundings started to settle around her. Winter had a way of making the castle seem as if it was in a stasis. It helped to calm her chaotic thoughts. As she walked her annoyance worked it's way from her body and she allowed herself to relax.

Thoughts about turning back and waiting to see if Draco showed up kept creeping in on her short retreat from everything she wanted to leave behind but the movement helped to keep her warm. So she continued on, working her way around the lake by the light of the moon and stars.

Her mind was distracted on carefully placing one foot in front of the other as the path started to become less worn and more haphazard when his voice unexpectedly rang out. "Well if it isn't the ferocious Gryffindor Kitten."

She looked over to her left quickly and saw him lounging on a blanket on the cold ground. He didn't look the least bit phased by the temperature. To the contrary, his arms were crossed behind his head as he leaned up so he could look directly at her. Even curled at such an awkward angle he managed to look comfortable with the corners of lips threatening to break out into a smile.

"Hi." Hermione responded simply, her own lips lifting into a soft smile in return. How things had changed so absolutely in just a few days was kind of mind boggling... She realized that she was staring and quickly walked over to the blanket to cover the faux pas. As soon as she stepped across the edge she realized why he was so relaxed laying on the frozen ground. He had cast a warming spell. Definitely smart.

"How are you tonight? Well, I hope." He inquired before laying back on the blanket, his arms still crossed behind his head. The perfect picture of nonchalance.

"Better now." She said shyly, feeling the tell tale heat of a blush flame her cheeks. She sat down next to him on the blanket and brought her knees to her chest before shifting her gaze up to the unpolluted night sky. The sight was still breathtakingly beautiful to her, even after six years...

"That is nice to hear..." He responded before they lapsed into silence both of them getting caught up in staring up at the stars.

They relaxed there for a couple of heartbeats before she looked over her shoulder at him and asked. "What about you?"

"My night was right shit but something tells me it is going to get better." He answered as his eyes continued to scan the different constellations above them.

"Oh really?" She teasingly countered before scooting herself so that she faced him and didn't have to deal with the uncomfortable angle on her neck.

"I hope so."

"Me too."

He finally fully smiled and shifted so that he could look over at her, she noticed dark circles had started to form under his stormy gray eyes. "Why were you marching like you were on a mission most of the way over here?"

She looked over towards the path that she had taken and saw that he had the distinct advantage of being able to lay there and watch her angry descent. And she hadn't even known if he would come... She had hoped he would keep his word, of course, but there was still a part of her that didn't trust him to not be playing some game. It was an extremely fragile string of trust that connected them. Unfortunately the only way to build on it was to be honest and see what happened... "I was angry."

"Obviously..." He drawled, raising an incredulous eyebrow at her, acting as if she had offended his intelligence.

"I was angry at Ronald..."

Draco rolled his eyes at her and sighed. "What did the Weasel do now?"

"Let's just say he decided to over step boundaries when it comes to my personal life. I had to straighten him out and that is never fun. I don't enjoy arguing with people I care about." She laid her head on her knee, the hard bone digging into her temple. Yet she couldn't bring herself to care, suddenly hit with how emotionally exhausted she was.

"Did you deck him? I've heard that you have one helluva right hook." He asked her playfully.

She snorted and couldn't stop the smile that spread across her lips.

"Of course not. I try not to resort to physical violence... Sometimes people _deserve_ it though."

He rolled his eyes before responding. "I'm kind of glad you didn't... I would much rather be able to witness when it finally happens. So please should you ever feel the need, make sure I am around, alright?"

"Sure Malfoy. I will make a conscious effort to only use physical violence if you are near. I promise." She ceded sarcastically. She had no plans to deck Ron (or anyone else) in the foreseeable future...

"Good. So what did you do today?" He asked her as if it was a normal inquiry to make.

Which it was... If the person asking was just about anyone other than Draco Malfoy. She couldn't believe he actually cared about her day. Hell, she barely cared about it. Most of the time she was shut off from what she was actually doing. Her body and mind on disconnect while things would go on autopilot. She ate, showered, took notes in class, practiced wandwork and a number of other things- all checked out and barely there the last few months.

She had been warned that depression was normal side effect after getting hit with a curse with such strength as what Dolohov had used. The healers had warned of the nightmares and the possibility of panic attacks. No one had told her how crippling it could be. Or how the scar would still ache six months later. They had never figured out exactly what she had been hit with just said it had left "lasting psychological and physical effects that could last an indeterminable amount of time". Helpful.

She shrugged before sighing. "I don't know what you want me to say..."

"Tell me about your day. That is why I asked..." He told her before looking back up to the expansive sky, giving her the time she needed to collect her thoughts.

"Well... I went to classes. Worked on the essay Bones assigned. Did my rounds. And then I came out here... I don't do much." She answered briefly.

He smirked and responded. "You deliberately left out all of the good stuff."

Unable to look him in the eye and she stared off towards the Lake. "No, I am boring... Really."

"I highly doubt that. Starting of the year great with your mates, fighting with them and the eventual make-up scene that is all but inevitable? I think you don't give yourself enough credit... That sounds like something straight out of a muggle soap opera." He pushed heedlessly.

"If you say so..." If she hadn't been so surprised by the fact that knew what a soap opera was, she might have remembered to be offended by the off-handed jibe. Even if his assumptions seemed like the most logical outcome.

And it went on like that until after two in the morning.

They had continued their careful conversation that was riddled with playful banter to ease any tension that snuck up. Slowly they started to learn small things about each other. They talked about what a normal day in their lives were like. How they had met those that were closest to them at school. Hermione had learned he hated cashews after a bad encounter and his favorite class was Astronomy. He had learned that her perfume was the same as her mother's and that she hated early mornings.

After awhile she had started yawning and he had insisted it was time for them to retire to the confines of the castle. Once again he left her with a chaste kiss at what was quickly becoming "their corner" in her mind.

It was too late when she realized that she had forgotten to tell him that she would see him after the Holidays. She doubted they would be able to sneak off again before the break in less than two days. She had Slughorn's party tomorrow and then they would be off...

She couldn't help the disappointment that welled up inside of her for not making that kiss last a little longer...


	18. Chapter Seventeen

_Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns and rules the Harry Potter universe and characters. I was just one of the lucky ones who got to visit her kingdom, which inspired this little fic. No compensation of any sort has or ever will come my way._

 _This chapter will be one where it is a mix of J.K.R.'s and mine. I needed to change around some of the things about Slughorn's Party to fit. Mostly it is dialogue, since things change so much from Harry and Hermione's perspectives but I still felt you should be warned._

 _It is a shorter chapter but again... Working up to some better stuff! ;)_

 _Okay... With that out of the way... Here we go!_

 **-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-**

Ugh... Why couldn't those two just _stop?!_ She couldn't even eat a meal without being forced to witness Ron and Lavender as they slobbered all over each other! She had been staring down into her stew, trying to stop the vomit that threatened to rise, when Parvati Patil turned and acknowledged her. "Oh... Hi Hermione!"

The girl was over enthusiastic in her approach, which probably stemmed from guilt brought on by laughing at Ron's cruel jokes about her earlier. She didn't want to be forced to deal with any persisting issues with the witch so she smiled back at her. "Hi Parvati! Are you going to Slughorn's party tonight?"

"No invite." She replied dejectedly. Hermione was surprised someone hadn't asked her. While her taste in friends was questionable she was a pretty decent person and very beautiful... "I'd love to go, though. It sounds like it's going to be really good... You're going, aren't you?"

"Yes, I'm meeting Cormac at eight, and we're going up to the party together." Hermione took a weird satisfaction in the way Ron disentangled himself from Lavender at the mention of the boy he suddenly hated.

"Cormac? Cormac McLaggen, you mean?" Parvati asked astonished at the turn of events and the morsels of gossip she was freely getting.

Inwardly smirking, Hermione couldn't stop herself from adding fuel to the flame now that she saw how angry it made Ron. "That's right. The one who _almost_ became Gryffindor Keeper."

"Are you going out with him then?" The other girl inquired.

Hermione hesitated for a second but watched as Ron turned pale. The vindictive part of her enjoyed having that kind of power over him. Last night before falling asleep she had realized what the jealousy he had exhibited must mean... He was regretting his choice...

Well tough chickens, it was way too little way too late. And she had the perfect way to ruffle his feathers. She vaguely registered how this might not be the best plan but giggled and blurted out. "Oh, yes, didn't you know?"

"No way! Wow you like your Quidditch players, don't you? Frist Krum, now McLaggen..." Parvati noted.

"I like really _good_ Quidditch players." She replied with a shrug of her shoulders. "Well, I will see you. Got to go and get ready for the party..."

Ron had paled even further and she wondered why she was so evil sometimes. What was hurting him going to get her other than some sick form of revenge for the way he had made her feel? Had she always been this petty?

She grabbed her bag and hurried from the Great Hall, embarrassed by her own behavior and wishing she still had that Timeturner so she could go back and fix it.

 **-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-**

Hermione could not believe the predicament she had gotten herself into. McLaggen had pulled her under the mistletoe and kept trying to go in for a kiss! Even after she had politely told him no! After coming up with a quick excuse she had disappeared into the crowd. Hoping he wouldn't follow her, she was in need of a place to hide from the wanker...

Suddenly she heard Harry call out for her. "Hermione. Hermione!"

She rushed up to the pair of familuar faces, beyond relieved to find him and Luna. She didn't care to stop the flood of gratefulness in her voice. "Harry! _Thank goodness!_ Hi Luna!"

"What's happened to you?" Harry asked her, taking in her appearance. She must look as crazy as she felt...

"Oh, I just escaped... I mean... I've just left Cormac under the mistletoe." She said, checking over her shoulder to make sure he wasn't anywhere near them.

Harry's eyebrows came together as he realized the unspoken implication in what she was saying. "Let's get some drinks, shall we?"

The three of them made their way across the charmed room. It was the epitome of ostentatious. And exactly what Hermione would have pictured coming from Slughorn... All draped fabric, gold, silver and coloured lighting. His Slytherin Pride definitely showing through in the palette.

Eventually they made it through the crowd and picked up a goblet of mead each. Luna and a very tipsy Professor Trelawney started up a conversation as Harry stared at her intently. It looked like he wanted to say something but was holding back.

Hermione didn't want him to think the worst of her because of her stunt earlier and her worst fears came true when he finally said what was on his mind. "Let's get something straight. Are you planning to tell Ron that you interfered at Keeper tryouts?"

She was taken aback. He knew that she had only charmed Cormac because he didn't deserve it after being such an ass about Ron. She was defending him! She raised an eyebrow and challenged his accusation. "Do you really think I'd stoop that low?"

"Hermione if you can go on a date with McLaggen..." Harry met her objection with the obvious retort.

"There is a difference between what you are suggesting and me going on a date to make Ron mad. And you know it! I have no plans to tell him anything about what might, or might not have happened at Keeper Tryouts." She hissed at him. Her anger building at what he was implying about her character. He should have known her better than that.

"Good because he will just fall apart again, and we'll lose the next match..."

She rolled her eyes at what it all boiled down to for him. " _Quidditch!?_ Is that really all boys care about? I've just been treated to 'A Hundred Great Saves Made by Cormac McLaggen' nonstop for the last hour. And now I have to deal with you only being worried about that stupid game?"

Harry went to respond but she spotted McLaggen who had found her and was making his way over. She could not handle him anymore. It was becoming entirely too exhausting and she hadn't counted on him getting sloshed... "Oh shit... There he is... Deal with him Harry, please!"

He nodded and she slipped back into the crowd and quickly snuck out of the party. She was ready to be done with the whole institution at that point. Neither of the ones she had gone to recently had been what anyone would call fun.

She made her way down the corridor, hoping she could make her escape before Cormac thought to look for her out there. She had just made it around the corner when she heard a scuffling down the way she had just came. Then a boy's voice cried out in pain before Filch hollered in victory. She stopped her advancement and peaked back around the stone wall at the same time that Filch crooned "Got you now Malfoy."

Filch's labored breathing filled the silence as he drug the hunched frame by his ear. They made their way down the hall and into the party. Draco hadn't looked hurt so she hoped Filch had not done too much damage... He was notorious for corporal punishment. A good smack to the head or shin wasn't out of the realm of possibilities.

What was he doing here? What could possibly be so important that he had gotten caught by Filch?

She waited there for a couple minutes. Wondering if it would be worth going back in and risking getting caught by Cormac to find out what had happened. Or if he would come out on his own... It was only a curfew violation after all. It wasn't the end of the world... She worried her freshly healed lip to the point of starting to bleed again when the door suddenly slammed open.

Snape and Draco emerged. Snape's fingers were wrapped tightly around the back of Draco's neck as he led him from the room. "Come along Mister Malfoy."

For the second time that night she watched her unorthodox hero being escorted away because of making the choice to break such an easily skirtable rule. Whatever his unknown reason was it could hardly be worth the punishment.

Hermione contemplated following right before the door opened again...


	19. Chapter Eighteen

Harry slipped out of the room and into the sliver of light before closing the door behind him. He checked to make sure no one was watching, missing Hermione completely in his haste, and pulled out the Invisibility Cloak. His whole body disappeared as he threw it over his shoulders, hurrying down the way that Snape and Draco had gone. Harry's sudden involvement made the choice for her. She couldn't follow to eavesdrop without getting caught.

She stayed where she was, hoping that eventually Harry or Draco would make their way back and she could get some answers. Granted if it was Harry it would only be half the story, but at least she would be able to glean if Draco seemed ok or not... Reaching up she wiped away the speckles of blood that had collected on her bottom lip from her incessant nibbling.

What had caused Draco to be lurking in the hallways around the party? Was he just at the wrong place at the wrong time? Or had he planned on crashing it? Why had Snape looked so tense if it was simple curfew violation? Would he bring him before Dumbledore for something so mundane? Was Harry able to track them down? Would the boy get caught and end up in trouble as well? Why was Draco out past curfew for the third night a in row? Did he ever sleep?

Her mind churned with her questions, unsure of what to do next. If no one came back she would have to head to her dorm. Maybe she could wait for Harry in the common room... He would eventually have to make his way up there. It would probably be the smartest choice, but if she did she might miss her last chance to see Draco before the long Christmas break... The thought chilled her more than she would like to admit considering she had already resigned herself to not seeing him until January.

While their times together had been awkward and tension filled, there had also been a feeling of... Camaraderie? No, that wasn't the right word... Connection... Maybe? Their fragile string of trust had built a connection between the two of them. One that promised if they could continue to push through the uncomfortable sludge of their past, it would become easy. As easy as breathing. Hell, after three meetings it already felt like she was willing to chance everything for just a few more stolen moments with the boy.

It might have been the fact that he was just as flawed as she was. Or perhaps it boiled down to her never being able to keep him. He was a Death Eater's son after all... And she was a dirty Mudblood... They didn't have the potential for a future that she would normally hope for in a crush.

She wasn't the type of girl he could take home to meet the parents. To top it off, her best friend being the boy who kept throwing a wrench in their sordid plans, solidified her status as scum beneath their Pureblooded shoes. She ranked right up next to Harry on the "Kill on Sight" list, she even sported the freaking scar to prove it. If it hadn't been a non-verbal curse she wouldn't exist on this plane anymore.

The fact that she had thought to compare them to a twisted Romeo and Juliet was laughable... What was two families squabbling compared to the planned extinction of a whole class of wizards and witches?

She sighed as she leaned her forehead against the cool stone in front of her, concentrating on the sounds going on around her instead of relying on her sight to sense an approach.

Even with innumerable odds stacked against them she couldn't help feeling that it was worth it. They had found an acceptance of who they actually were in the presence of the last person either of them would have expected. That was the word that she had been searching for... _Acceptance_.

They accepted the best and worst of each other. Draco didn't find fault in the things that most people perceived as annoying about her. He allowed her the time she needed to disentangle her thoughts when they got twisted. Unlike Harry and Ron. He found the way that she could get worked up about a passage in a book funny instead of exasperating. Unlike Ginny. He liked the way she challenged him. Unlike... Well just about anyone.

And she... She knew some of the worst that he had to offer and still could see the hero underneath it all, trapped in a world that did everything it could to crush him.

So she stayed where she was, banking on the slim chance that she would be able to see him once more before the real world separated them. For all she knew going home might trigger him to hate her again and then she would be all alone, without the distraction that he provided for her... Without his soothing kisses that made her feel like she was invincible... Alone in the hell that was quickly becoming her life. She wanted the chance to tell him she didn't want that.

A good twenty minutes went by with no sounds of approach, the only thing to break the deafening silence was the random muffled outburst from the party. She knew that she couldn't stand there forever. Someone was bound to either leave the festivities or happen upon her standing there like a fool with no good excuse. Just as she was about to give in and head up to the common room she heard the sound she had been waiting for. Light footsteps against stone...

Hermione peaked around the corner and saw his willowy frame making it's way down the corridor. He stopped in front of the door and looked like he was debating with himself on whether he should go in or not. What could possibly drive him to try and party crash after already getting caught? His stubbornness made little sense, if Snape's demeanor was any indication, he had already been served a harsh punishment for the first offense.

" _Psst..._ Draco" She whispered, hoping it was enough to get his attention.

He turned towards her and shook his head before quickly walking over to her. When he was finally standing in front of her she was able to take an assessment of him. His hair was ruffled and he the dark circles under his eyes had her wondering if he had slept at all since their first night together. She watched as the icy facade cracked in his eyes and they started swirling again; there was so much anger and... and... and fear, that it took her breath away.

"What's... What's wrong?" She asked him, concerned.

He didn't answer her, instead his hand wrapped around her lower back and pulled her roughly against him. A squeak escaped from between her lips and she went to complain but his lips claimed hers. There was no other word for it. He wasn't gentle as he coaxed her lips to allow his tongue entrance. It was the brutish kiss that she had thought their first would be. He remorselessly took, moving their lips and tongues in the ways that he wanted them to. And for some reason she let him...

Rather than push him away- she moaned into the kiss as one of his hands moved into her hair and twisted. It caused a sting of pain at the nape of her neck before he pulled her even harder against him. She didn't protest. She knew the look her had given her. She had seen it in the mirror too many times when she was teetering on the edge of an attack. Right at that moment when everything had become too much and was crashing down on her... So she let him take whatever he needed. A willing participate to his domination.

Draco pushed her up against the wall and pressed his hips into her stomach. The added weight dug the skin of her back into the sharp ridges in the stone and she couldn't stop the gasp of pain that broke free from her. At the sound he instantly pulled away, putting a good foot between them. His breath left him in shaky gasps as he tried to reign his emotion back under control.

Her heartbeat so hard in her ears she felt lightheaded. Her legs were trembling so she stayed were she was pressed up tightly against the cold wall. Between her own pants for air she whispered. "Are you okay?"

"I will be." He choked out. Slowly his breathing returned to normal and he stood up straighter before he finally met her eye again. "Come with me. We need to talk..."

He slipped his hand in hers and pulled her along until they came to the closest unused room. An empty closet that must have been for storage at some point. Her mind drifted as she wondered why there were so many unneeded rooms in the castle. It was almost as if the faculty was trying to entice students to sneak away...

He opened the door for her and waited for her to enter like the gentleman he had been raised to be. She quickly stepped into the pitch black space. Unable to see she pulled her wand from her waist band and muttered a Lumos charm. It was definitely cramped and covered in dust but it was suitable enough for a conversation.

Draco followed her in and closed the door behind him. He stared at her in the soft white light that emanated from her wand tip for a moment before sliding the robes from his arms and throwing it to the ground. He then toed the fabric into the space between the ground and the edge of the door.

Her eyebrow raised at the action. This was obviously not his first time in a closet with a girl. She had to bite the inside of her already sore lips to stop from asking him abou it., He seemed like he had something more specific on his mind that they needed to speak about so she kept her mouth shut, letting him take the lead.

"I... I am sorry for what just happened. That was not tolerable behavior on my part." He started off, staring down at the ground. His shame was evident and she didn't want him to remember the encounter that way...

"If I didn't like what you were doing I would have let you know instead of enthusiastically returning your affections Draco." She told him, the light from her wand tip burning slightly brighter as the minutes old memories ran through her mind.

It was his turn to have an eyebrow arch up as a smirk crossed his lips and he drawled. "Hmmmm... I might have to remember that..."

The implied future found in his words caused a shiver to run up and down her spine. So he didn't have any immediate plans to tell her that whatever it was that they were doing had to end. That calmed some of her fears...

"Did you just want to apologize or was there something else you wished to speak about?" She asked. The tension was still there in the set of his shoulders, there had to be something else bothering him.

"Look... I know the question that I am about to ask you is going to piss you off and I have no right to be asking it in the first place. But please remember we are in an enclosed space with you casting a Lumos spell. If you decide to lose it we will be stumbling out of here blind, alright?" He said, eyeing her hand gripped tightly around her wand.

Worried about what he wanted to ask her eyes slid down to bright tip of her wand, she did not want their last time seeing each other before the two week break to end abysmally because she couldn't control her temper. It physically hurt how badly she wanted more good memories for her replays. During the times she needed something persuasive to turn to... Like when the nightmares inevitably came at night and she needed a distraction from the images of cruelty and murder that wouldn't stop their repetitive ambush in her head. She would lay awake until she couldn't keep her eyes open anymore go over all her best memories as a way to quell the despair. It was embarrassing how many now featured Draco...

"Okay..." She nodded, steeling herself for whatever it was.

"Why in the hell did you take McLaggen to that stupid party?" He grumbled, the jealousy plainly etched into his face when she quickly looked up.

 _Shit..._


	20. Chapter Nineteen

The look of confusion that settled on her face must have been comical, she hadn't been expecting that. Why did all of the males in her life care who she brought to a lame party?! It was almost as if they thought that girls could not have platonic feelings for a member of the opposite sex. Guilty consciences, maybe?

She did feel the anger that had been promised but there was also relief. This was an easy answer... "Because he asked me to go, neither of us had found dates and it was days away."

"Really?" He asked her incredulously. The fact that he didn't believe her explanation was plainly obvious.

"Yes, really. He cornered me in the hall and wouldn't shut his mouth about all of the different connections he could help me build until I agreed." She told him truthfully. It was hard for her to reconcile the fact that Draco Malfoy was jealous of Cormac McLaggen. Like they were even in the same league to make comparisons.

The tense set of his shoulders finally lifted and he smiled over at her. A real smile that set her heart a flutter. "So you do not have an interest in that infernally irksome idiot?"

She snorted and shook her head, a few curls falling down into her face. "Hell no! I can barely stand the guy..."

"Well that definitely makes my night better then." He said, stepping closer before he reached up and brushed the stray locks away.

"Why? I don't understand how me bringing an acquaintance to a party would effect your night in the slightest." Hermione asked.

"I... I don't know. It was like a rock had settled in the pit of my stomach when a little birdie told me you were dating the infuriatingly punchable git..." The hard set to his shoulders returned as he described his former thought process.

Her mind worked over his words, trying to decipher the meaning. Obviously her conversation with Pavarti had made its way to his ears. Something she had not accounted for when the decision to mess with Ron had been made. All that she had wanted to do was make him as uncomfortable as she had been the past couple of months. That was it. She hadn't thought of how it would look to anyone else. And then it dawned on her...

"Wait... Were you planning on party crashing so you could hit McLaggen because you thought we had started dating?" Her eyes widen at her epiphany.

"No. That wasn't my plan." He said smirking down at her.

"Oh... What was your super secret plan then?"

His smirk reached his eyes as he cocked an arrogant eyebrow. "I was going to wait in the corridor until he came out and then punch him for stealing the only thing that makes me want to come back to this hell hole."

Her eyes widen even more, they felt like they were going to pop out of her head.

He was talking about her... He had just said she was the only reason he wanted to return to Hogwarts. She wasn't sure if he meant from Christmas break or in general. Did that mean he had come back to school since Voldermort's return for the express purpose of being able to see her?

Surely not... She shouldn't let her imagination and ego run that wild. He did have a magical education to get and appearances to keep up...

"Oh..." She whispered, not knowing how to respond appropriately.

In a weird way it was flattering that he would go to such lengths... At the same time, the Prefect in her shied away from any form of physical violence between students. Something she noted Draco never seemed to have qualms with, even when he had been given the same responsibilities.

"Do you have any idea the _strength_ it took not to barge into that room while images of that loathsome bastard kissing you under the mistletoe or over the punch bowl or... or something equally as heinous were running through my head? Even now I am fighting with myself not to go back in there and hex the dunce for being allowed to lay eyes on you when you look so utterly delectable." His slate gray eyes ran from the tips of her toes all the way to the tops of her curls and back down again.

A small smile broke out across her lips. If anyone else had told her that she would have rolled her eyes, but she knew he was being sincere. While it was meant as a joke, there was an underlying hint of truth to the lines. The twitch in his jaw at the end did not help cover any lingering jealousy either...

"I do not understand what the big deal is... What if Cormac was a friend? Why would me taking him be such an issue... There are such things as platonic friendships, right?" She wondered aloud, almost sarcastically.

He chuckled and shook his head. "I distinctly remember stating that the word 'dating' had been thrown around. And I am the classic only child... I do _not_ like to share. If it was truly platonic than there is no issue. Though I highly doubt his intentions remained pure after seeing you in that dress. Nor do you understand just how... Salacious a teenage boy's mind can be."

She scoffed at his answer but thought back to how McLaggen had tried to kiss her earlier. Maybe it hadn't just been the copious amounts of drink he had consumed...

Was she wrong in the thought that the dress she had picked for tonight was innocent enough?

A navy blue number that had three quarter sleeves and came to her knees, with a matching lace overlay that admittedly made it pop a bit more than if had been plain. The neckline started at her collarbone to conform to her new found modest standards so there was no way for it to be deemed improper. She had decided to attempt the spell Ginny did to subdue the riot atop her head the best she could and she wore very little make up. The bare necessities of mascara, eyeliner and gloss adorned her face.

Hermione felt the blush start to creep up into her checks as she realized that the dress had gotten a bit shorter since the last time she had worn it. Her mother had bought it for a dinner with co-workers over Christmas break last year. She had only grown an inch and a half since then... She hadn't given the hemline much thought but it did settle above the knee which could be considered indecent in certain circles. Plus, Draco's remarks about teenage mind's were true... She could attest to as much, having two boys as best friends.

Draco watched as her face turned colors. That antagonizing smirk still in place. "That colour looks ravishing on you by the way... Brings out the honey flecks in your eyes."

"Thank you... My Mum says the same thing..." She replied to his compliment

Her mind was still wrapped up with the mortification at what Cormac's expectations must have been. It was no wonder why he had talked himself up so much to her. For all the talk of "making connections" he had spent most of the night trying to keep her attention on him, talking about his Quidditch prowess and the people he knew once they got out of school who could help her get S.P.E.W. the recognition it deserved.

That should have been the first red flag right there... No one gave a rat's behind about the house elves, least of all themselves. Why hadn't she been able to pick up on the fact that he had been interested long before he had gotten impaired?

"Smart woman." Draco responded simply, snapping her back to their conversation.

The nonchalance he used while kindly speaking about her muggle parent caused her to stop short. They had instinctively skirted around speaking about either of their parents until then and she had expected avoidance. "Yeah... She is. Both her and my Dad are actually."

"Doesn't surprise me. They would have to be to raise someone like you."

"Why... Why are you being so nice to me?" She asked sharply. She had not intended use such a harsh tone but she was frustrated with the stupefaction she felt that continued to pop up when it came to them.

"I am not being nice. I am being truthful. There is a difference... You just do not see yourself clearly." He told her as he reached up and brushed the back of his fingers along her jawline.

The effortless touch sent havoc through her nervous system. The need deep in her stomach was almost tangible and her breath left her in a shudder. She fought through the haze to respond. "I guess... That must be both of our issues, huh? We cannot see ourselves clearly?"

His fingers moved to her chin which he cupped so he could raise her face, that way he could stare down into her eyes, making sure he had her full attention. He leaned forward and barely brushed their lips together. Teasingly he pulled away, just enough so that they weren't touching anymore and whispered. "Ironic."

She knew he was trying to draw out the moment and prolong the tension but she could not stop the way her body reacted. Her lungs literally heaved as she tried to desperately moderate her breathing. A whimper fell from her lips when she shifted her weight from one leg to the other. The movement causing friction against her aching sex. Between the teasing and the heated kiss earlier her need was so strong she could feel pooling in her knickers.

Thankfully Draco chose that moment to press his lips to hers. It was gentle this time. So unlike the out of control frenzy previously... He held her still for a moment, letting them enjoy the feeling of their lips pressed together. It felt like an eternity before he let her go and kissed her in earnest. Their lips and tongues met in a dance that was quickly becoming familiar. She pressed herself against him, wrapping her arms around his lower back.

His fingers found their way back into her hair. Once again he entwined them in her curls, but this time he gave a more lenient tug. The sensations sent down her neck were unexpectedly pleasant and only added to her already painful arousal. She pushed her body harder against him, causing him to fall back into the door. Which she took immediate advantage of by pressing her breasts into his chest and her stomach tightly against his hips.

And he moaned for her... Oh Gods! She didn't think she would ever get sick of the sound and the feeling it gave her. She deepened the kiss and felt herself grind against him, joining in on the moan.

Suddenly he slipped his hands from her hair and placed them gently on her shoulders. So quickly she almost wasn't able to register what was happening, he switched their positions so she was pressed tightly against the door. He pulled their lips apart and leaned his forehead against hers. Breathing hotly into her face causing the scent of peppermint to overwhelm her senses, Draco whispered. "I will not rut with you in a dusty old broom closet."

He leaned back down and kissed his way from the crook of her neck to her ear before continuing. "Oh no. I have something _much better_ planned for us. You will just have to be patient Kitten."

After a few tense seconds passed he cleared his throat and stood straight up before looking down at her. "Besides, I have somewhere I need to be."

With that he wrenched the door open, abruptly pushing Hermione forward with the force and left. Leaving her there gasping for breath with the tantalizing thoughts of what he could have planned playing behind her lids. It had all happened in such a rush that she could not formulate a response to any of it...

She hadn't even gotten to say Happy Christmas to him like she had wanted to...

 **-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-**

 _Ack! Soooooooo... I am really loving this chapter._

 _Let me know what you think with all that love (reviews, follows, kudos, etc). If you don't, I have no idea if ya'll are liking the way things are going or not! Even if its just a "Great chapter" it lets me know I am doing something right and you are enjoying. Thank you so much for reading!_

 _As Always..._

 _Much love,_  
 _SlytherclawLuv_


	21. Chapter Twenty

She rushed up the stairs hoping she hadn't missed them. They were due back at any moment and she had gotten caught up in her visit with Hagrid and Buckbeak. Her early arrival by Floo had allowed her time to get settled before any of her other friends had come back. She had found herself bored with nothing to do and decided to go see the half giant for a cup of tea.

Turning the corner into the Gryffindor hallway she watched as Harry, Ron and Ginny stood and argued with the Fat Lady.

"What do you mean _no?_ " Ron asked the portrait indignantly.

The robust woman sighed from where she had draped herself across the chaise in the background of her picture. "There is a new password. And please don't shout..."

"But we've been away, how are we supposed to...?"

Hermione ran up to the group, gasping for breath. "Harry! Ginny!"

Over the Holidays she had thought Ron would write... He hadn't responded to her "Happy Christmas" note that was sent with the new set of wizarding chess pieces as an apology for her atrocious behavior... Instead she had gotten silence. The same with the two more attempts she had given to try to patch things up. If she wasn't even worth five minutes of his time to write a quick note than she didn't have the time to acknowledge him either. Knowing full well it was childish she deliberately left him out.

All three turned to her and had curious expressions about her outer wear plain on their faces, so she offered up the explanation. "I got back a couple of hours ago. I have just been down to visit Hagrid and Buck... I mean Witherwings. Did you have a good Christmas?"

"Yeah, pretty eventful. Rufus Scrim..." Ron tried answering, expecting her to act as if everything was normal and he hadn't spent the last two weeks avoiding contact with her...

She interrupted him, not interested in much of anything he had to say. "I have something for you, Harry. Hang on... The password is Abstinence."

"Precisely." The Fat Lady muttered before swinging forward and allowing them access to the crowded common room. Ron and Ginny went first, followed by her and Harry.

"What's up with her?" Harry asked.

"Overindulged over break, apparently. She and a friend drank their way through all the wine in that picture of drunk monks down by the Charms corridor." An exasperated roll of her eyes expressed her displeasure in having to spread portrait gossip. She reached into the inside pocket of her jacket and pulled out the scroll McGonagall had tasked her to give to him. "Anyways... Here you go."

"Great. I have loads to tell him and you... Let's sit down." His green eyes shone with worry as his eyes scanned what could only be a summons from Professor Dumbledore. He was excited over... Something. This couldn't be good, he didn't get that type of intense look unless it was serious.

Suddenly her ears were bombarded with a hair raising shriek from Lavender of "Won-Won!" before she launched herself at the unsuspecting boy. She suctioned her lips to his in a kiss that didn't look like it would be ending anytime soon.

Hermione couldn't stop the grimace of disgust that flashed across her face. It wasn't that she didn't understand wanting to have an amorous reunion. It was only natural. But to always have to make it public and to the degree that they would... Ugh... It had to be one of the girl's kinks with the regularity that it happened. She shook her head and turned to Ginny and Harry. "There is an open table over there..."

"I need to go and meet Dean. I will see you guys later..." Ginny said before slipping into the crowd to find her boyfriend. They really needed to have that talk. By the lack of enthusiasm the girl displayed she knew it wouldn't be for her benefit. While they had written quick notes back and forth over the break neither one had wanted to get into what was going on with them through written word.

Harry walked over to the table and sat down in one of the chairs impatiently. She quickly followed and situated herself across from him.

"So how was your Christmas?" He asked. Now that he knew he had her attention he could afford the politeness.

It was everything she had wished it to be. For the most part, her parents had adhered to her rules of no parties. She had only been drug to one New Year's celebration, so over all a win. They had spent their time together as a family. Partaking in all of the Granger Family traditions. She hoped she would be able to have more like it with them in the future. She couldn't tell Harry any of that... Yet. So she just shrugged her shoulders. "Oh fine, nothing special. How was it at Won-Won's?"

Harry's eyes narrowed in her direction at the tone she had used. It was evident that he was on Ron's side. Which from his vantage point was probably understandable, but still stung. He hadn't even bothered to ask her about her side of things... He sighed heavily before starting in. "I will tell you in a minute. Look, Hermione, can't you...?"

"No... No I can't." She knew that he wanted her to apologize. Little did he know that she had already tried. It would never be enough though. She was always the one who needed to give it one more shot. Not this time, it was Ron's turn to apologize and make amends. "So don't even ask."

"I thought maybe, you know, over Christmas you would have cooled down some."

"It was the Fat Lady who drank a vat of five-hundred-year-old wine, Harry, not me. So what is this important news you want to tell me?" She asked pointedly, trying to change the subject.

It worked. Harry went into a rant about what he had overheard between Draco and Snape. Her mind wandered on exactly what it could all mean. "You... You don't think Snape...?"

"Was pretending to offer help so that he could trick Malfoy into telling him what he's doing?" Harry asked.

"Well... Yes." She hedged. All of this really was suspicious and cast her hero in a darker light than she wanted to admit.

He shrugged and answered grudgingly. "Ron's dad and Lupin think so. But this definitely proves Malfoy's planning something. You can't deny that!"

"No, I can't." She couldn't argue facts and he knew he had her cornered. There was nothing to say. The boy was guilty... But of _what?_ They still didn't have proof of any actual wrong doing. This could be a case of only getting part of a conversation...

"And he is working on Voldermort's orders, just like I said!" Harry exclaimed like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Hmmm... Did either of them actually mention Voldermort's name?" She shuddered at the thought of Draco kneeling before the lunatic. Her mind instantly tried to come up with another explanation. Any other explanation...

He frowned at her, trying to remember. "I'm not sure... Snape definitely said 'your master' though. And who else would that be?"

"I don't know. Maybe his father?" She asked, starting to worry her lip. She knew she was grasping at straws but her mind refused to accept what Harry was proposing. Draco couldn't be a Death Eater. It was bad enough being a Death Eater's son... She asked after Lupin to try and change the subject again. Anything to get her mind from the one thing that promised a massive pain.

"Not great." Harry went into another long-winded summary of the obstacles faced by their former teacher. "Have you heard of Fenrir Greyback?"

It instantly clicked. She had heard that name once before... "Yes... Yes, I have. And so have you Harry..."

"When in 'History of Magic'? You know full well I never listened..." He said, getting annoyed.

"No... Not in 'History of Magic'... Malfoy threatened Borgin with him! Back in Knockturn Alley, don't you remember?... He... He told Borgin that Greyback was an old family friend and... and... That he'd be checking up on his progress..."

Harry gaped at her as her words sunk in. He didn't even have the faintest idea that it felt like every drop of oxygen had been taken from the room with her realization. She clenched her hands trying to keep control of her emotions. She couldn't crack now, with the common room full of Gryffindors to witness the descent into the abyss. She could feel her nails digging into the palms of her hands, but she didn't care. The pain helped her focus.

"I forgot about that! But this proves Malfoy's a Death Eater. How else could he be in contact with Greyback and be telling him what to do?" He pushed.

"It... It _is_ pretty suspicious." She managed to force the words from her strangled throat.

"Oh come on! You can't get around this one!" Harry almost shouted at her in his exasperation.

Her mind tried coming up with something. Anything... Any other possibility than the obvious one. "Well... There is always the chance that it was an empty threat?"

"You're unbelievable, you are! We will see who is right and then you will be eating your words, Hermione. Just like the Ministry." He vowed angrily before switching back like nothing unpleasant had happened. "Oh yeah! I got into a row with Rufus Scrimgeour as well..."

He went on to tell her in detail about what had happened between him and the Minister of Magic. Thankfully all she had to do was nod and look shocked or angry at the expected moments. She couldn't handle more than that.

It was all too much.

There was no way this was possible. She had not just spent a week sneaking away to spend time with a frickin' Death Eater! What if... Oh Gods! What if he wasn't really interested in her?! What if it was all some sick ploy by Voldermort to get in with a member of Harry's inner circle?

And she very well could have played right into the trap...

Could Draco really be that good of an actor though? Were his kisses and soft words all a lie?

They had felt so real, with no hesitation. No one could be that good... Especially if he hated her still. There would some tell. A twitch on his lip or a twitch of an eye. Something to give him away.

She hoped she wasn't deluding herself. Maybe she couldn't imagine it because it would hurt too badly to tarnish those memories with a critical eye. They chased away the nightmares. They didn't need to join them.

Once again what she needed was answers...

After everyone had finally retired to their beds she had snuck out the to the Owlery. Using a school owl she sent a note to be received in the morning. It was simple and straightforward.

 _Find me where I hide at midnight. Do not be late..._

 **-\?/-\/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-**

 _Another chapter with a mix of mine and J.K.R.'s ideas. Lots of dialogue is from the books, just like in the last couple chapters like this. I did have to do a bit more twisting to this one though. :)_

 _Anyways... Hope you enjoyed it. How do you think Hermione is going to react? What about Draco? What's his reaction going to be? Is he really playing a game?_

 _Let me know down below, please! Even you future readers. I really do love seeing your guesses!_

 _Oh and... Grace, don't feel bad. Our girl is much more confused than you are. Hopefully she gets some answers soon! Like, maybe the next chapter?! ;)_

 _Hope your guys' nights are awesome!_

 _As always..._

 _Much love,_  
 _SyltherclawLuv_


	22. Chapter Twenty-One

Hermione stood in front of the tapestry of Barnabas the Barmy fifteen minutes before Draco was supposed to meet her there. She needed the time to gather her out of control thoughts. She hoped he would have a good excuse and would be able to tell her that Harry's imagination was on the run again. That he wasn't a... a... He wasn't evil. Her mind instinctively shied away from using that word when describing him. She couldn't reconcile the boy she had spent time with and the image that flashed before her eyes of the mark branded into his arm. The vicious sneer she had grown so used to over the years plastered across his face.

She took slow deliberate breaths to keep herself restrained. She needed her head right for the conversation that was about to happen. Not to be lost in a sea of anxiety and crippling fear. That would do her absolutely no good. She was already exhausted from not sleeping. She had been too afraid of what her nightmares would show her, to sleep the night before. Now she was really regretting setting up such a late meeting. But she had needed to be sure she wouldn't be caught sneaking out.

After sending the owl that morning she had thought of how she should have asked Harry to borrow the Invisibility Cloak. That way she could execute a earlier time but that would have caused questions. Questions that she could not answer... Which would have alerted Harry and upped his suspicions about why she wouldn't forgive Ron. He would have ran to the Maraurder's map to sedate his curiosity on what she was doing. And that would have been _bad_... So she stayed with the plan and figured she would have time to sleep... Later.

She pulled the new charcoal gray cloak around her tightly, trying to fight off the chill in the air. It had been a Christmas gift from her parents to replace the winter trench coat she had been using for the last two years. The matching hat and gloves made her feel like a student at Beauxbatons. It admittedly wasn't her usual style but it was gift from the only people who had always loved her. No matter what she did. No matter how horrible she acted sometimes. She would wear the frilly impractical garments, just because of the sentimentality behind them.

Out of nowhere the door to the Room of Requirement popped into being. She was momentarily confused. She hadn't asked for anything... Then the door opened and Draco stepped through. Her heart instantly started racing just at the sight of him. She had missed him. There were so many times she'd had to restrain herself from writing him a letter over break. There had been so much she wanted to say... Now she didn't even know if any of it was true.

He looked... Sickly. The dark circles under his eyes had not gone away over their vacation. If anything they looked as if they had been permanently etched onto his face. His skin, that was already abnormally pale, had taken on the sheen of the muggle's version of a ghost. His check bones were sharper and suggested that he had lost some weight... What had happened to him? He wasn't wearing a coat or cloak, just his relaxed Hogwarts standard uniform. White dress shirt and black pants... She wondered if it was a matter of convenience or if he was somehow immune to the dreadful cold.

She watched as he closed the door. The fact that she was standing there still hadn't registered. His eyes had the hard edge that she had grown to hate over the years. It took her breath away. At the sound of her gasp his gaze flicked up and settled on her. As soon as his eyes found her his cold demeanor melted. Leaving _her_ Draco standing there. He still looked sick but it was as if he was no longer burning with fever or something.

He took a step towards her in welcome. In response she took a step back, keeping the same amount of distance between them. She couldn't let herself get wrapped up in the reunion she had hoped for over break.

She needed answers...

His eyebrows scrunched together at her action and the tense set of her shoulders. He stood there for a second, his eyes letting the fear show before the cold mask slammed down across his features. His lips twisted up into the sneer she knew so well. "Well... Well... Look who came early. Welcome back Granger."

It was unbearable, having that version of him there. She wanted the Draco from moments ago back. She didn't know if she had enough courage to have such a hard conversation with this one. She hesitated for a second before blurting out. "Are you... Are you a Death Eater!?"

He scowled at her abrupt question. He couldn't of had a clue that her plans for the evening involved being questioned. But that was what he was going to get. She would not continue these secret liaisons if he was one of them. She would never be able to trust him. She probably shouldn't anyways, but this was were she had to draw a hard line for herself. She could not be with someone who had sworn themselves to a psychopath who wanted her and anyone like her dead.

Draco's glare sent her heart into overdrive and she wondered if she had overstepped and he was finally going to crack. She watched as he quickly paced three times in front of the chunk of wall where the door would appear. He mumbled something unintelligible under his breath before a much more modern door than she had been expecting appeared. It was still an antique, probably one hundred years old, but not anywhere near as ancient as the door that lead to the room from the other night. The one were hidden things went for an eternity...

He opened the door and gestured for her to go in. When she showed more hesitation his sneer returned and he shrugged. "If you want an answer to your question you go in. If not you can live with your morbid curiosity for the rest of your life. Your choice..."

It was her turn to glare at him. He was trying to goad her into a response, and she didn't want to play this game. After taking a deep breath she walked across the the width of the hallway and into the room. Trying to act as if she had much more confidence in the choice than she really did.

Her eyes scanned the space she had just entered. It was a decent sized room filled with a complete bedroom and adjoined sitting room. She had not been expecting that. She was... confused, it was as if someone had gone into her mind and taken a picture after asking what she would think Draco's bedroom would look like. All of the wood in the room was polished black. Everything; the bed, wardrobe, side tables, couch, chairs, book shelves- even the portrait frames matched. All graceful lines and hinting at old world origins.

She took another step, bringing herself further into the room. She noticed that the portraits weren't the magical specimens like she would have anticipated. The scenes stayed complete stationary. She looked over to the bookshelves hoping for a glimpse at some of the titles. But every single title was a blur, almost as if she needed to wear a special set of glasses to read them. Definitely strange, but the room she was in could morph into anything a person needed so it wasn't worth the investigation at the moment, _considering_...

The colour palate was as if Salazar, himself, had vomited all over the room. The walls and floor were the only things that didn't match the Slytherin theme. The old stone that the whole castle was made of was able to remind her that she hadn't stepped into a parallel universe where she would be welcomed in Draco's bedroom. A deep emerald green rug ran the length of most of the floor, making it almost cozy. Curtains in the same shade hung over a frosted glass window. A collage of wizarding photographs hung in the space between the window and the headboard of the four post bed.

The fabric on the chairs and couch were a dark gray to balance out all of the green. The bedding was black and looked comfortable enough to curl up in and fall right to sleep...

She looked over at Draco when he closed the door behind himself and turned towards her. She was reminded of her question by the way he stared at her. She couldn't figure out anything else to say, so she waited for a response.

He shook his head and asked. "Why did you come?"

"I... I need to know the truth. All of it." She said as she returned his gaze. Her mind flashed to an image of the princess in his story and how she had stood up to the dragon. This frosty untouchable boy was the dragon in this story and she hoped that he still had the potential to be her hero.

"You don't _need_ to know _anything_." He hissed at her.

"I deserve the truth then Draco. Is that a better reason? After everything you have put me through in the past six years I deserve a shred of humanity from you. Answer me! _Are. You. A. Death. Eater_?!" She shouted at him, unable to hold back the surge of anger at the way he was treating her.

"The truth!? You want the truth?! Fine!" He yelled back at her causing the mask to break. His rage literally rolled off of him. It was a palatable force. Violently he reached over and wrenched open the wrist of the dress shirt he was wearing, causing the button to pop and fly off... somewhere. He folded the fabric up to his elbow and hesitated for a second. He still had not fully dedicated himself to what he was about to do. With a groan he flipped his arm over so she could look down at his forearm. An invitation for her to see the truth for herself.

Now that the moment was there she did not want to look. She knew the answer just by his response. She didn't want to see his skin marred with hatred... Instead she stared into his cold taunting eyes, hoping for just a glimpse of the boy she had come to know. He had to still be in there... All that she found was the unquenchable fury and torment she had ignited with her question.

She let her eyes drop down to his neck, the tendons drawn tight from the tension radiating off of him. Slowly she followed the line of his shoulders and down his bicep that was straining against the fabric of his shirt. Finally her eyes landed on what she dreaded most...

His Dark Mark, in all of it's horrible glory. The skull and snake brand that declared oneself a devout follower of The Dark Lord. The calling card of the Wizarding World's very own wannabe dictator. Left at the scene of a crime to strike fear into the people effected. And it worked on her... Instantly it felt like all of the air had been sucked from her lungs. Her throat threatened to close in on itself as she gasped for a breath to send needed oxygen to her brain. She vaguely registered that her reaction was the start of the panic attack that had been hanging over her for over twenty-four hours, but she could do nothing stop it.

The sight of the abomination on his skin was enough to send her over the edge. It wasn't as if she had never seen it on a person before. A number of the Death Eaters had displayed theirs' proudly during the stand off at the Ministry. It was the fact that it was on a child. He was a _sixteen year old child_. How deep must the brainwashing go for a minor to sign up to dispense genocide?!

And how sick must the people involved be to _allow_ it?

She started hyperventilating as images of the things Draco must of seen over the past few years ran behind her eyelids. Oh Gods! What about everything Harry or Dumbledore had no clue about?

Hermione didn't want to fall apart at that particular moment, but the realization of just how fucked up his life must have been hit her hard. And she ached for the boy. No wonder he had attacked her so viciously. Anything to spread that type of pain around, right? She walked over to the couch on legs that felt like jelly from her brain's lack of oxygen. She sunk down onto the plush velvet and stared at the portrait of a willow tree near a pond at night. She started counting the individual blades of grass the artist had painstakingly stroked.

 _One. Two. Three. Four. Five._

She got a squeaky wheeze into her lungs.

Draco came over slowly. Advancing like he would for a wild animal, afraid to startle it. He wiggled his arm, the cuff of his shirt swayed with the movement, down by his wrist. "It's gone. It's okay, Granger."

 _Twenty-Seven. Twenty-Eight, Twenty-Nine. Thirty. Thirty-One._

He sat down on the other side of the couch. She felt how she was shifted by the weight distribution, but she didn't look over at him. She couldn't break her concentration on the simple task that helped her get the air back into her lungs that she desperately needed to think. Her breaths came in constricted gasps. But she was breathing... That was a start.

He didn't say anything else, just let her be.

By the time she got to three hundred and eighty-two she was back in control. She had given herself an extra fifty just to make sure. She blinked before turning to the confirmed Death Eater beside her. "I'm sorry about that. I just needed... A moment..."

Draco snorted and shook his head before checking out of the corner of his eye that she was in fact functioning. He sighed before leaning forward, resting his elbows on his knees and staring at the floor. "It happens..."

"Yeah" Was her brilliant reply.

He turned his head to look her in the eye and it was him... The real Draco. "I'm sorry for freaking you out so badly."

"Believe it or not... It wasn't really you." She told him truthfully. "I just... I don't know..."

"You don't have to tell me anything. I get I've made some shit decisions in my short life that would lead people not to trust me. Hell... _I_ wouldn't trust myself." He said with a lift of his shoulders. As if that explained it all.

"No Draco. I mean it. It wasn't you. I've been... Uptight since someone brought me pretty telling proof of..." She trailed off, her eyes flicking from his eyes to where the mark was hidden and back again.

He nodded and looked back down to the ground. "If you say so..."

"I do. Everything had just became to much, you know?" Hermione asked. The fear that he would think she was out of her mind made her stomach flip. She didn't need confirmation on what she already felt.

"Yeah... I've been that way a time or two." He said before leaning back against the couch. He peaked over at her out of the corner of his eye, trying to hide the movement. It was as if he couldn't keep his eyes off her, no matter how hard he tried.

Her mind started to nag at her to ask the next obvious question. The one that probably mattered way more than the first, before she could stop herself, it escaped from her lips. " _Why_ did you do it, Draco?"

She was expecting his wrath but he just sighed again. "It's a long story."

"Good thing I have all night, huh?"

And she wasn't lying. If she had to stay until dawn to figure out why he had made the choice to take the mark. She would...


	23. Chapter Twenty-Two

She sat there quietly, waiting for him to begin. Hermione knew the answer must be multifaceted. You didn't make such a choice lightly, or for just one reason. That would make it all the harder to start in such a way that she would be able to understand, so she stayed silent. Allowing him the time he needed to gather his thoughts.

The heat in the room made it feel like there was roaring fire only a few feet away even though the fireplace remained unlit. It had to be another bit of magic that the Room of Requirement held because the rest of the castle was drafty and most students resorted to multiple layers to fight off the chill. She removed her hat, gloves and cloak before setting them on the arm of the couch.

When she was finished he leaned forward and put his elbows back on his knees, which allowed his forearms and wrists to hang limply towards the floor. Draco sighed again before starting to talk to the ground instead of directly to her. "I... Could you imagine, if only for a minute, what it would be like to grow up in my world? A... A world where you are told, from the second you could understand, that muggles were not only beneath you but needed to be because they were so dangerous?"

She kept quiet. She knew he wasn't actually seeking answers to his questions. He was reverting back to his defense mechanism of asking questions instead of giving a direct answer. Except this time he was answering, just in his own way...

"What if you were told routinely about what happened during the Muggle World Wars? How they were... How they are able to destroy entire cities in an instant and leave toxins in the very air and water that cause aliments magic couldn't hope to fix. That it is madness to allow them the opportunity to do something equally as heinous again, even more so because wizardkind is the logical next target for their hatred when the Statue of Secrecy is inevitably broken. Is it so hard to imagine the fear and subsequent anger a young child would have growing up when it came to anything having to do with that group of supposed barbarians?"

He glanced over at her, making sure she was still paying attention.

"Now how would it feel to be told you had to cohabitate with the children of such monsters? The little spies that were sent in to collect intel for their government so the attacks against you and yours was quick and unnoticed. Tainted little abominations that had stolen their magic from a witch or wizard. Would you welcome such potential for evil into your own mists willingly?"

Her eyebrows came together as she seriously considered the implications of everything he said. And it was hard for her to come up with a scenario where she would ostracize a whole group of people, much less an individual, the way Muggleborns were over something they couldn't control.

She was learning how to trust Draco...

As if he could plainly read her thoughts he snorted and continued. "You would... _Of course, you would_. What about your friends? Could you imagine any of them forgiving and forgetting?"

Her silence was answer enough for the both of them so he just scoffed before continuing. "What if the man you idolized your whole life told you that the only way to protect your family was to learn from the muggles' past and do something preemptive? Enslave the evil and put them in their place so they wouldn't be able to destroy the world with their cruelty. Kill off their spies so they would never be able to rise up and inflict that kind of destruction again... Do you see how that could leave a lasting effect on an impressionable young mind? Especially when the person feeding it to you was your own Father? The man every child is taught to love and respect."

She started to worry her lip as his story of questions went on. It was unreal how badly she wanted to let the anger take hold and Floo to Azkaban to hex the ever loving hell out of the man who had brainwashed his son with such a twisted version of what muggles were.

They had the capacity for great evil. Yet so did wizarding kind...

"What if the person you trusted above all else kept you away from any chance to learn differently? Under the guise of protection, of course. You would end up indoctrinated to believe that was the only way to save your way of life. Would you then be able to turn away from the sadistic bastard that had almost succeeded before? Or would you embrace him for the sake of the greater good of everyone, muggles included?"

A small part of her brain registered that from his vantage point it must have been an unbeatable offer. Safety from a threat was a pretty damned good motivator.

"What do you think would happen if the madman decided that the Father you had admired was no longer of use? Would it quickly become apparent that all of the shit you had been force fed your entire life was a lie? A means of control. What about when you looked around and realized that you had signed your life over to a sadist who would kill you just as quickly as use you?"

His eyes dropped to the floor again, his voice starting to crack by the end of his lecture. "You would try to run. Maybe even deflect so you might be of use to the other side, right? What would happen if you couldn't even entertain the idea because he had your mother held hostage? Your home overrun with his sycophantic followers so she would never be able to escape. Would your life be worth hers? Or would you stay and do whatever the fuck you had to do to keep her alive?"

Hermione knew the answer in a second. She didn't have to think twice, she would do whatever she had to do to keep her mother and father safe. Hell, she was already planning to do exactly that for the slim chance of their survival. She refused to ever feel the panic of the boy next to her.

Unable to put all of that into words, she whispered. "I would do _anything_ to keep my Mum safe."

"Exactly." He said simply, another nonchalant shrug on his shoulders, trying to cover up the storm of emotions that must have been churning under the mask that he had somehow found a way to reassemble..

"So what is it that you have to do to keep her alive?" She asked hesitantly. Trying to avoid the overstep that would send him back into defense mode, but he was being unabashedly truthful with her so far...

"I... I have to fix something." He hedged, his eyes found hers and she almost choked from the blankness that reflected back at her. It had not been easy for him to tell her the truth. The amount of trust he had placed in her hands had cost him a great deal.

She could appreciate the effort that it took him. Draco did not have to open himself up to her like that. He could have laughed in her face, called her absurd and sent her on her way when she first asked him in the hallway. The fact that he hadn't was proof that he cared more than she knew. If there wasn't the same connection she felt he would not have taken the chance and laid himself bare like that.

"Oh. Well... That doesn't sound too hard. What is it that you need to fix?" She asked. She might be able to help... She couldn't see Voldermort giving him that important of a job. Especially if he was testing him because of the older Malfoy's ineptitude.

He glared at her for a moment, as if trying to determine the reason behind the question. "I do not wish to speak about it anymore. Can we... Can we talk about something else? Anything else..."

"How was your Christmas?" She threw out. It was the first thing that popped into her head.

Draco answered dismissively. "Splendid. Yours?"

"It was nice... Quiet." Hermione wasn't sure where to go from there. She was even more confused than when she had shown up. She had expected such a different outcome. One where she told him off and ran back to her room crying and all the other teenage angsty drama that would normally ensue in an instance like this...

Instead she gotten to the truth of the matter. Draco was a Death Eater. He _had_ subscribed to the belief that the world would be better off with muggles in their "rightful place". Then somewhere along the line he had changed... He might not have thrown off the bonds that held him to such evil, but she could not fault him for that, not with his mother's life on the line. If anyone else took the time to hear it, they wouldn't be able to either.

"That is good to hear. What was your favorite part?" He asked her, leaning back against the couch and giving her his full attention. It looked as if he was the perfect picture of relaxation but she knew the truth now, even the Draco that he shared with her wasn't the real one. Underneath all of that nonchalance raced so much fear, anger and pain. She wondered how he coped with the expectations upon his young shoulders. Just like with Harry, it was bad enough being on the sidelines and witnessing it.

She sighed and thought over her answer before responding. "Just being able to be with my parents, I guess. Usually we jet off for some skiing adventure with the families of their co-workers. Or I am... Away. But this year I asked for quality family time and they obliged. It was nice to sit around our house and do nothing for days on end like a normal family."

"Hmmm... I had not pegged you as an adrenaline junkie Granger. Do you enjoy skiing?" He inquired, a joking smirk threatening to break out on his lips.

A full blown laugh escaped from her, a surprise for both of them. "I'm not. I mean... I don't. I am the one who is an anomaly and hates flying remember?"

He slid his arm behind her on the back of the couch making sure not to touch her but leaving the option for contact up to her. The simple gesture kept the smile on her lips as she relaxed against the cushioning gray velvet, placing her shoulders squarely against his arm.

"What is running through your head right now Kitten?" He asked her, lapsing back into using his pet name.

"How you always seem so confident..." She replied with the truth.

"It's an act." He said simply.

"I know."

"Do you?"

"I do now..." She told him easily. Somehow she knew that what he had confided to her was the truth. Had her view of him changed so completely in such a short period of time that she could blindly trust? Or was it possible that he had made such a transformation that the reality could not be ignored? The simple act of sitting next to her like he was could be offered up as proof.

"Good." He said as he stared deeply into her eyes, making sure she wasn't lying to him. As she stared back she was once again struck by how dark the circles were under his eyes and she knew that he needed to get some sleep. Or he really was going to make himself sick...

Hermione let her head fall back onto the arm behind her. "We should probably head to bed soon."

"And that is why you are the brightest witch of our age, huh?" Draco joked, his eyes flashing a strange silver with the show of humor before a telling yawn exposed his fatigue.

She gave him a fleeting smile and stood so she could put her new cloak, mitten and hat on. He stayed frozen in the same position, watching her dress in her outerwear in preparation for the cold found outside the room. It was hard to tell by the way his shoulders took on the tense set from earlier, but it seemed as if he did not want to let her leave.

Not wanting to miss a spare moment that she could spend with him, she raised her eyebrow playfully and asked. "Will you walk me back?"

"Of course." He replied, the corners of his lips threatening to turn up into a smile before he stood and walked over to the wardrobe. It became her turn to stare as he took out the coat he had worn on the night they had met in the Gray Lady's garden and slipped it on. A strong sigh caused his shoulders to slump momentarily before he regrouped and went to the door, waiting for her to join him.

Hermione gave the room a quick once-over, trying to sear it into her memory before she did. There was no guarantee that she would get to return...

Ever the perfect gentleman, he waited patiently and opened the door for her, letting her pass through before he quickly followed.

They walked in silence. Never allowing their bodies to cross the invisible barrier that had gradually built up between them with each step they took, but both feeling the electric current that called to close the distance. She would catch him occasionally sending her a quick look out of the corner of his eye as she attempted a glance of her own but she didn't call attention to it.

When they made it to their corner she turned to him with a small smile. "Thank you."

"I _refuse_ to be the dragon Granger." He blurted, his eyes locking hers in a piercing gaze.

"I know Draco. I can see that." She said breathlessly having to blink back sudden tears at the heart-wrenching declaration.

"Still friends?"

"Are we _only_ friends?" She asked him, taking a play from his book. Answering a hard question with one of her own.

"I don't know... Do I ever get to kiss you again?" He probed with a joke.

That caused her to stop short because... Gods, how she wanted him to but she wasn't in any shape to be making that type of decision about them. The truth was the best option she had. "Maybe... Not tonight. I am much too tired, physically and emotionally to be snogging some boy in the corridor."

Draco shrugged, looking down to the ground. "Okay."

"But I will see you soon, right?" She quickly followed up, afraid she had hurt his feelings with the rebuff.

The promise of there being a next time was enough to pull his eyes back to hers. Searching for conformation to her words after he found what he was looking for he nodded. "Alright. Good Night Kitten."

"Good Night Draco." She whispered as he turned and disappeared into the solid blackness of the corridor in what was fast becoming some taboo ritual between the Slytherin and Gryffindor. Death Eater and Mudblood. Oil and Water. But as she was finding out, there was much more to either of them than she could have predicted.

Hermione sighed and shook her head at the absurdity of their circumstances before heading up to her dorm. Hoping for good dreams of a hero to chase away any nightmares that dared to find her...

 **-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-**

 _Uh..._

 _What just happened? Is Hermione falling for a cleverly crafted act or is Draco being sincere? Tell me what you think is going down between these two pretty please!_

 _Also, I was finally accepted by Archive of Our Own. Yay! Check me out over there if you are searching for the lemony goodness that is sure to come._

 _As Always..._

 _Much love,_  
 _SlytherclawLuv_


	24. Chapter Twenty-Three

It took two weeks and one rather unfortunate accident- involving a school owl, ink and Goyle's lap during Transfiguration- to set up another meeting between the pair. Finding time while Prefect duties, impending Apparition lessons, homework, friends and getting sleep dominated their lives was nearly impossible. Their notes back and forth were plenty entertaining though...

Hermione found the ones exchanged the day before had been particularly noteworthy:

 _Good Morning Kitten,_  
 _It's snowing again. Looks like lunch in the Astronomy Tower is canceled. What else is new, right?_  
 _In other news... Who would have thought an owl and ink pot would be so hard to separate? Or that McGonagall could turn that colour purple without having a heart attack!_  
 _Would tonight at Eleven work?_  
 _-A Hero In Training_

 _Dear Hero,_  
 _Fate is a fickle bitch and she must hate us, I have extended rounds tonight. A certain someone assumed I wouldn't be busy and made plans with his banshee. It is a thankless job making sure the kiddies behave._  
 _Tomorrow night at Ten would work for me. How about where we won't be found?_  
 _That isn't funny! You shouldn't say such things, besides she was able to do the reverse wandwork pretty quickly. I think she was more disappointed that people laughed. It showed massive amounts of immaturity and gave the class away as the assholes we are._  
 _-Not Your Average Princess_

 _Why Hello There Foul Mouthed Vixen,_  
 _You were not kidding when you said you hated mornings. I have to admit, when you talk like that I cannot stop myself from imaging a better use for that pretty little mouth of yours._  
 _Ten o'clock tomorrow is really too far away... But patience is a virtue... So I should really work on it if I want to be a hero. This shit is exhausting. How do you do it all of the time?_  
 _-A Teenage Boy With An Indecent Mind_

While logically she knew he must be thinking about her in that way, it was still baffling to have the proof at the bottom of her trunk. Along with the rest of the forbidden messages she had received over the last few weeks. They had used every trick in the book to be able to get word to one another. Unfamiliar owls, crumbled pieces of parchment left for the other pick up, secret hand slips in the hallways, leaving a note in a specific book in the library. Anything they could think off to not draw attention to themselves while their lackluster codes worked well enough that no one would be able to figure out who they were if intercepted.

She hoped that their meeting tonight was able to happen without any hitches. After all of the teasing she needed some kind of release. Books, knitting and homework were only an outlet for so long before her hormones had her a withering mess each night. She didn't necessarily want sex and wasn't sure if she would let it go that far. What she did want was the complex feelings combined with release that his kisses offered her. She wanted the closeness she felt when they were pressed up against each other. She wanted to hear him tell her wonderful she was. The words made all the more ambrosian due to who was whispering them in her ear.

The only issue with the whole thing was that she had no clue what she was doing. She did not make a habit of trying to seduce anyone, much less someone who was as sophisticated as Draco. Not that it sounded like he would need much convincing, but a little effort couldn't hurt...

Thankfully Ginny was going to come and help her get ready, that way they would be able to have the conversation that was long overdue. Their hectic schedules had also kept them apart. Hermione couldn't help but wonder if this was a natural phase in growing up. While most of her friendships were solid, Ron not included, they still had to make an effort to have time to spend together. It wasn't like a few years ago when they were together round the clock. Everyone had their own responsibilities to attend to. The thought made her sad but also grateful that she and the girl had found some time.

However fleeting it maybe...

 **-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-**

"Hermione... You... Look... Hot!" The redhead gasped at her in disbelief. "I can't wait for you see!"

"Well then the logical thing would be to let me _look_ in the mirror Ginny..." She told her jokingly, appreciating the girl trying to overinflate her ego. She needed it sometimes. Having been such an odd duck for so long it was hard to believe she could be considered good-looking or in this case- hot. There had only been a handful of times that she had truly felt that and almost all of them had been during her times with Draco...

A roll of the witch's eyes was the only answer she got before Ginny turned her around, so she could see herself for the first time in over an hour. Her friend had worked diligently to make sure she looked her best. The goal being a "relaxed flirty" look, whatever the hell that meant... She had told her all about the issues was having with Dean. Mostly that they were not getting enough time apart now that he was a Chaser.

Hermione watched as the girl in the mirror's eyes wandered up and down her body. It wasn't that she was shocking beautiful and that caused a cognitive disconnect or anything like that... More that she just could not recognize herself in the confident set of the girl's shoulders or the small smile that played on her glossed lips. That girl couldn't possibly be her.

She stood there in a pair of light wash mock bell bottom jeans. They were tight until her knee where they started to flair out, leaving ample enough room for the pair of mahogany coloured oxford heeled boots to peak out. A black tank top was covered by navy blue knit sweater. Purposefully two sizes too big so it hung off her left shoulder loosely.

Her makeup shouldn't have been anything special, but once again, under Ginny's hands all of her best features were enhanced. Her eyes popped and the soft curve of her bottom lip looked naturally plump. Her hair... Was her hair. She was able to tame the frizziness and get the curls to soften slightly, giving a much more polished look.

A giggle escaped her lips as she raised an eyebrow at her friend in the mirror. "You are a miracle worker. You know that right?"

"Yes. Yes I do." Ginny replied dramatically, fanning herself as if flushed by the compliment. "So do I get to hear all the deets on the Mystery Guy? Who is he? How long have you been hooking up? How far have you gone? Why weren't you honest about him after the party? That is were you decided you liked him right?"

She had hoped she would be able to wiggle her way out of having to talk about what was going on with her. She thought if she could keep the girl talking about Dean she wouldn't even have to go there, but if the girl's rapid fire questions were anything to go by she wouldn't be that lucky. Not even close...

"Ummm... Okay. Well where to start? He... He was at the party and left shortly after I did so we ended up bumping into each other. I never explicitly lied about him... I didn't tell you about him because... Well... because I didn't and still don't know if it will go anywhere. I want to be sure before sharing. We have only hung out a few times so far... And we have kissed. Does that cover all of your questions?"

Her friend's eyebrow rose at her guarded answers but she didn't challenge her on not divulging the identity of her beau. "Well at the very least you could tell me some stuff about him. Give me _something_ girl!"

"Gods Ginny! What would you like to know? He is smart... Like ridiculously smart. He is a lot more gentle than I would have ever thought he could be. And funny! He makes me laugh more than anyone else. His vibe is definitely bad boy all the way but deep down he really is good. And... And so handsome... I... I can't figure out what he sees in me..."She responded before turning to her and sighing heavily.

" _Oh my Gods_... Hermione Granger is smitten! Someone call 'The Prophet'... This is front page news!" The girl squealed and flung her arm around Hermione's shoulders.

"Shhhhh! Please! I do not want anyone else finding out about this... Until I am ready. Just... Promise me you will keep your mouth shut?! You can't even tell Dean, okay?" She rushed out, trying to keep her quiet.

Ginny's eyes narrowed into a suspicious glare. "He is a Slytherin, isn't he? That's why you want to keep it so hush hush!"

Her own eyes widen at how quickly she had been able to figure such a huge part of it out. The redhead wasn't dumb that was for sure. She Unable to recover quickly enough, she stammered. "I... I.. Uhhhh... He... What?!"

"Definitely a Slytherin."

"I did not say that!"

"You didn't have to. Your flustered act of indignation did it for you..."

"Well... Shit!"

The laugh that came from the girl put her at ease. She couldn't be mad if she found the situation funny... She leaned over and whispered flirtatiously in Hermione's ear. "Is it Zabini?"

"What?! _No!_ I can tell you with a one hundred percent guarantee... My Mystery Guy is not Blaise Zabini." Hermione shook her head at the absurdity. Granted the truth wasn't any better...

"Dang! He is pretty smart and good-looking... Oh well..." Ginny gave her a kiss on the cheek before threatening menacingly. "I _will_ figure it out..."

The girl giggled and jumped out of the way when Hermione playfully batted at her. "Quit being so nosey!"

"Alright, alright! I need to go find Harry and warn him I might be late for practice tomorrow anyway... Have fun! Don't do anything I would." She told her as she waggled her eyebrows at the suggestion before exiting with a crooked smile plastered on her face.

Just how lucky she was to have the girl as friend ran through her mind again. It was a miracle how she could make her laugh even in the most stressful of moments and it helped her more than Ginny would ever know. She was able to pull her from the anxiety that had threatened to invade, allowing her to enjoy the moment.

The fact that the witch was a gods' send when it came to appearance charms didn't hurt either... Anyone who could fire a curse or hex with as much potency as a Anti-Blush Charm was gifted. Plain and simple.

She was also incredibly stubborn. Making Hermione hope that it was an innocent joke and she wasn't really going to try to figure out who her snake was...


	25. Chapter Twenty-Four

Draco leaned against the spot where the door would appear for them once summoned, his meticulously crafted mask of confidence proudly on display while he waited for her. A black sweater had been added to his "after school hours" uniform to combat the chill and his platinum blonde hair looked as if he had just spent the last hour running his hands through it. A few strands fell onto his forehead, giving him an unusually lax look.

She hesitated at the corner, watching him wait. Now that the opportunity to enact her plan of inept seduction had presented itself without interruption her nerves had kicked in. She had absolutely no clue how to proceed. It wasn't like she had ever snuck out to get hot and heavy with an experienced lover before. Her ignorance would be painfully telling.

He wouldn't laugh at her would he? She knew the chances were slim but it was a real worry. He had lost his virginity to Parkinson. The girl who once resembled a pug had morphed into the type that could make a guy ejaculate just by licking her frickin' lips in their presence. There was no way she could measure up to that. She wasn't even in the same hemisphere!

At the same time she knew he had to be wanting something more than makeout sessions too. Not if he was bold enough to admit to imagining her lips doing something more worthwhile than cursing. That didn't exactly sound G rated...

She resorted to nibbling on the inside of her cheek instead of ruining all of Ginny's hard work on her lips. Her heart beat wildly in her chest as she worked up the bravery to step forward and meet what the night had in store for her. As much as she probably shouldn't, she trusted the boy who was standing there. Just when she shifted to take that first step he cleared his throat and spoke to the wall opposite of him. "You've been standing there for quite some time. Would you rather not enjoy my company tonight?"

"Oh! Ummm... Hi." She said surprised by the sudden acknowledgement, It was in that moment she decided to off her precocious mind to the fullest of its abilities, apparently. A blush worked up into her cheeks as she stepped out from her horrid hiding spot.

"Hello... I am serious, you know. You can leave if you are second guessing... Me." His gray eyes searching her face as she approached.

"I know. I wouldn't be here if I didn't want to be." Hermione confirmed with a shrug of her shoulders.

Amused with her response a playful smirk crossed his lips. "Oh really? From where I am standing it looked like you were working yourself into a tizzy."

"It wasn't a _tizzy_. I... I'm just nervous." There really wasn't any use in trying to deny it.

"Why?" Draco snapped. All traces of the humor on his face from a second before was gone. Wiped from his features based on assumptions of what was the cause of her nervousness.

"It's pretty chilly out here. Do you think we could move this somewhere warmer?" She decided not to answer. At least not out in the hallway. It was much better to get inside the sanctuary of the Room of Requirement, in whichever form, then get caught and be speaking about her inexperience... With him...

He huffed but stood up from the wall. His movements were quick and jerky with his annoyance as he called the door for his room into being. He opened it and gestured for her to enter.

She couldn't help the smirk of satisfaction at his impatience that crossed her lips as she walked passed him. As soon as the warmth from the room hit her the tension of her expectations softened and she sighed. Without looking back at him she walked over to the couch and slid her cloak from her shoulders. Taking great care to concentrate on each movement instead of the fact that he was somewhere behind her. When she was done she draped the bundle along the back of the couch and smoothed the wool down.

She felt when he stepped up behind her but it still left goosebumps along her arms when he leaned forward and whispered. "So... Why are you nervous Kitten?"

She turned around so they were facing each other with her eyes closed. She knew once she opened them his stare would be intense this close. All swirly and hypnotic... And she was not disappointed when she finally did. It was too bad the moment was ruined when she realized exactly what she was admitting to someone other than Ginny...

"Well... Ummm... Since your last note was a tad bit... Suggestive. I knew what we both had in mind with me coming here tonight. And... Uhhh... What we've done is the most I've... That is... I mean..." She struggled, unable to get the simple words out.

"Do you have any idea how absolutely brilliant you look when you are flustered?" He asked her as if he hadn't heard a word she just said.

"What?! Draco, I am trying to tell you that I..."

"What Granger? That you are a _virgin?_ I have already deduced that from your eloquent attempt to tell me as much. I am not stupid. I heard you and it doesn't matter, alright? If you ever feel uncomfortable you only have to say something. I am just glad you are not telling me to bugger off because of... Everything." He told her in a rush, looking down at the rug by the time he was finished.

She sighed in annoyance and her tone caused him to look back up. "I meant what I said. I wouldn't have come if I didn't want to be here with you. That doesn't mean I am not afraid of the unknown. Weren't you... Even the tiniest bit during your first time going any further than kissing?"

"Uhhh... No. I was sloshed out my mind. Can barely remember it actually..." He stated matter-of-factly.

"That has to be disappointing. I mean... Maybe I am just being girly and a bit of a romantic but that seems like something you'd want to remember."

Draco shrugged. "I can't take back a lot of mistakes from my past."

"True... But you can always change your future right?" She asked, knowing it sounded cheesy and not really caring. It was the truth. He could change. He was changing...

"Right." His reply was simple as he stared down at the bare skin of her shoulder and neck, momentarily distracted.

Her heart picked up faster as she imagined his lips trailing the line his eyes made to meet hers again. Before she could stop herself she leaned in and pressed against him, wrapping her arms around his waist. Hiding in the safety of his chest she whispered. "I know it's crazy but I have missed you..."

"I've missed you too Kitten." He said as he embraced her. Pulling her even closer so he could bury his face into her curls with a soft almost inaudible groan.

She pressed her face against the scratchy fabric of his sweater, enjoying the feeling of his strong arms around her. It was like coming home. All of the acceptance she had strived so hard for over the last six years was found in such a simple gesture. From one of the most non simplistic men she could have found... Fate had a funny way of working out that way.

He gently pulled away and slipped his hand into hers, slowly coaxing her towards a door that she distinctly did not remember being there. "Come on. I want to do something before we go any further."

She followed him without complaint. Curious as to where he was now going to take her and what he planned once they were there...

When he opened the door there was a full four piece bath inside. The tub, shower, toilet and vanity all came in a black porcelain. Silver metal made the faucets shine as if brand new. The towels and washcloths were, of course, emerald green. Once again it was an exact replica of what she would picture if asked what she thought the Slytherin bathrooms looked like. Only on a much smaller scale.

Draco did not say anything as he stopped them both in front of the vanity, he reached over and turned the water on. Letting the pipes warm up before he grabbed one of the folded washcloths from next to the sink and placed it under the steady flow. He stared into her eyes as he let the stream flow over the fabric. Not breaking the look as he wrung the excess water from the dripping rag.

With a feather light touch he slid the unbelievably soft material along her bottom lip, wiping the gloss away. He kept up the eye contact with her as he worked all of Ginny's hard work from her skin. The only time he allowed her to look away was when she had to close her eyes because the mascara and eyeshadow necessitated it, which he left for last. A cold shiver across her skin notified her of him reversing the charms that had been laboriously applied.

She kept her eyes closed, mulling over the reason why he hadn't just magicked away the makeup as well. Not that she was opposed to the act. It was somehow an extremely intimate thing to let him do. Her stomach did pinch at his rejection of her attempt to look beautiful though. She had been hoping for a better reception...

Almost as if he could read where her thoughts where he reached up and traced his thumb along her jaw bone to get her attention. When she finally obliged he gave her a soft smile. "There you are... I much prefer the _real_ you, Granger. I like watching you blush. I like being able to see the freckles that dot your cheekbones. I like your crazy ass hair. You don't need to be fake with me..."

Hermione sighed at his words. If she didn't know any better she would say he was practicing Legilimency on her, but there was no tell tale signs of any intrusion into her mind. A fact she was extremely glad for but almost immediately guilty for feeling. Which was ridiculous... Who could really blame her checking and constantly testing that growing string of trust between the two of them? It wasn't just her that could end up being hurt if things turned sour.

"You believe me right?" He asked as he leaned down to be able to see her better through the mane of curls that had exploded across her forehead from the lack of any spell or product to tame them.

"I don't know." She answered honestly, choosing to expound on the pertinent issue that caused her unease. The complexities of their relationship on others hadn't been enough to keep her from showing up after all. "I... I don't compare to a girl like Pansy, Draco. Or any of the other girls you've probably had. I am the bumbling little Gryffindor bookworm remember? I'm... I'm not like _them_."

"Good. If I wanted one of them I could have them but I don't. I want you." He reached up and ran his fingers through his hair. Right along the messy divots that he must have made before she had shown up. "I wish I could get you to see yourself the way everyone else does. I think you would be surprised by just how many of us poor souls are lusting after you..."

Another blush crept up and into her cheeks as she thought over what he said. A month ago she would have laughed in his face. But lately... Ron, Cormac, Blaise and Draco had all expressed an interest in their own ways... She had noticed a woman's figure starting to come in over the last couple of years but this summer it was as if a Fairy Godmother had waved her wand. Her hips had developed curves that there hadn't even been a hint of in spring. Her breasts now filled out her blouses enough that she was thinking of going up a size just to accommodate them. The child softness was quickly melting from her face leaving a woman she barely even recognized, like in the mirror with Ginny.

Maybe he was right and she didn't need as much help to be attractive as she thought...

"Perhaps one day I will be able to convince you." He muttered under his breath before taking her hand in his again, leading her from the bathroom and back into the bedroom. Once inside the open space he dropped her hand and went and sat down on the bed, allowing her the choice to approach when she was ready.

She stood there as he stared at her. Drinking in the outfit she had chosen. The color of the sweater had been for him. The rest of it made her feel empowered, gave her the confidence she needed to go through with whatever they were about to do. But the navy blue had been a nod to how he had said he liked it on her, a small way to show that she listened to what he said. That his opinion mattered... Probably more than she should let it.

Draco's jaw clenched and unclenched as she watched him. Trying so hard to be patient for her, to continue to be courteous and caring... He reached up and ran his hand through his hair again before laying back and starting up at the ceiling. It took a moment but he asked. "Still nervous?"

She couldn't stop the snort at the question. It was quite absurd. Of course she was...

"How about we take it one step at a time. No commitments to anything? Just like any other night. Does that sound good?" He hedged still talking to the stone above him.

She knew he was giving her an out that she didn't really want. It still helped lift some of the pressure on her lungs, allowing her the first full breath since they had entered the loo. She nodded. "Okay..."

"You could come sit over here and we could talk..." He suggested.

Hermione chided herself for not doing it earlier and letting herself get caught up in her emotions. She walked over and sat down on the edge of the bed. Her body was turned so he had a good look at her profile when she leaned back against the post behind her. She tucked one leg underneath her and let the other dangle off of the bed, her toes barely brushing the carpet. The bedding was even better than she had imagined. It felt like she was sitting on air.

Even with her stomach churning with anxiety it took everything she had not to climb on top of him and kiss him until her nerves melted away...

But he was right. Better to ease into it...

 **-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-**

 _Ack! Ok, I know I am horrible!_

 _So what do you think? Is our girl gonna "do it"? Or will her emotions get the best of her?_

 _Hope you are having a stupendous night!_

 _Off to get started on the next chapter and all that it entails._

 _As always..._

 _Much love,_  
 _SlytherclawLuv_


	26. Chapter Twenty-Five

She watched out of the corner of her eye as he tucked an arm underneath his head so he could look over at her. A timid smile crossed her lips but she didn't say anything. She was enjoying the feeling of his eyes roaming over her body, lingering once again at the exposed skin of her shoulder and collarbone.

"So what would you like to talk about?" He asked, his gray eyes taking on the silver hues that she had only seen accompany his amusement at a joke.

She wondered what he was thinking as she turned her head so she could return his look. Lounging across the black blankets he had somehow figured out how to make the action look graceful. She sighed before answering honestly. "Pansy..."

"Why would you want to talk about her?" He inquired, his eyebrow raised in curiosity.

"I guess... I was just wondering how you could go from wanting to be with girls like her to _me_." She asked, knowing that the answer had the potential to change everything. She wasn't sure how she would react if he said he wanted a change from the same old thing or something equally insulting.

"That is a hard one to answer Kitten. Let me preface the easiest rationalization by saying- It has _always_ been _you_ that I have wanted. Well... pretty much always. I can remember sitting there a couple weeks after you struck me in third year and I could not get how your eyes lit up out of my mind. It kept replaying over and over. And instead of feeling the disgust I was supposed to feel... I kept imagining being able to see it again. I found myself doing anything I could to get that look from you, because no one reacts like that if they don't care on some subconscious level. I couldn't have you, for so many reasons, but I could have that... That illusion that you cared."

Her eyebrows came together as she realized what he was telling her. Another surreal moment in a long line of them when it came to them. Conformation on an unrequited crush. At least until recently...

"As for Pansy or any other girl I might have hooked up with... They were the exact opposite of you and that was the point. I needed girls who could keep me from imagining you in their place. They needed to be overtly sexual and dominate so that I could get lost in the experience. Which is too bad really..." He said a soft smirk playing on his lips. "I like being in control..."

She barely got out a breathy, "Oh.", as the instant spike of need at his words overwhelmed her.

"Not what you expected pet?" He questioned as his teasing smirk widened. It was clear that he knew exactly what he was doing to her.

She shrugged, doing her best to appear unruffled. "I didn't know what to expect. You always surprise me Draco."

His smirk lifted to a full blown smile that caused crease lines around his eyes. "Good."

Hermione smiled back at his gratified response. Go figure that he would want to surprise her, like it was a wonderful thing that he wasn't fulfilling her predictions. In his case, he _was_ probably right...

She still couldn't get who he was out of her head. Always on edge she was expecting the switch to flip and not come back down after a few moments of heated discussion. Or or vexed silence, depending. They had been lucky so far that neither had said something that would cause all the carefully laid bricks to fall. Yet the thought kept wiggling in the back of her mind that a major blow up with inexcusable insults thrown at each other was how this was all going to end.

His eyes darted down and focused on her hands as she absentmindedly wiped the perspiration that collected on her palms on to the rough fabric of her jeans. He literally missed nothing... If he was as perceptive as he had proven himself to be and it was true that he had been watching her for years, he would know that her wandering thoughts had veered somewhere dark causing her to start to get worked up again. She could feel the invisible metal bands wrapping around her chest, making it hard to breathe.

"Hey. Where did you go Granger?" He asked, an underlying hint of concern tainting the poised exterior he tried so hard to sustain most of the time. When she didn't answer he reached over and grabbed her wrist, giving it a gentle tug. "Come here."

She stared at his lips, unable to maintain eye contact while her anxiety skyrocketed even further. The realization that if they didn't end up having some massive blow up, he would eventually tire of this type of unexpected feedback and run away screaming had her fighting with tears. Worst of all, she would only have herself to blame. A shaky breath entered her lungs as she tired to get control enough to respond in an appropriate manner.

He gave another pacifistic jerk on her arm, giving her the choice. "Please. Just come here. No funny business. I promise."

The muscles in her shoulders and neck tighten even further but she let him pull her into the crook of his arm. Her body pressed up against his side and she could feel her breasts rubbing against his ribs as she struggled to get oxygen back to her brain. She cushioned her head against his chest so she could hide the embarrassment that came along with allowing him to see her like this... _Twice_.

He started rubbing small circles on her shoulder. Giving her brain some other input other than the absolute fear that chilled her veins. She didn't know how to be this vulnerable with someone else. She didn't know how to give herself so completely to someone who might not even be there tomorrow. She didn't know... She didn't know...

"Shhhhh... It's okay. You will be okay. Concentrate on my voice, alright? Concentrate on right now, on this moment with me, okay? We are going to take slow deep breaths." He said leisurely before starting to breathe. He let his lungs expand underneath her, giving her something to pace her own against. She drew in the breath with him as he continued to rub the soft fabric of her sweater against her skin.

"Good." He said on their shared exhale. "Now we are going to do it again."

Slowly she felt her heartbeat start to return to normal, no longer struggling to fight the oxygen deprivation her own mind had created. By the time they hit forty-five breaths she was feeling better. Still shaky and a little light-headed but she could breathe and think coherently again.

She whispered quietly. "Thank you."

"For?" His fingers had worked from the small circles to running along the tender skin from the crook of her neck down to her shoulder and back again... Something that had felt comforting just seconds before suddenly ignited that deep burn in her stomach. The abrupt shift in hormones left her even more dizzy than when she was dealing with the attack. It was as if her body was out of sync with her mind, unable to figure out exactly what it wanted to do.

"For... Being so understanding, I guess."

"I told you. I have been there, shit gets hard sometimes and that is okay." He whispered back, his fingers still running that slow path on her skin, making it very hard for her to focus. "How about we try thinking of some happier things... What is you favorite memory?"

"Of all time? Or right this moment with my head in a fog because of what your fingers are doing to me?" She asked, unsure of what he wanted from her. She was probably reading too far into the question but her brain wasn't exactly working on making those kinds of distinctions.

Draco laughed at that. The heaves from the action jostling her against him. and she smiled into his sweater. It was kind of funny... When he was done he sighed and said. "Both. Without a doubt both."

"Of all time would have to be McGonagall showing up with my acceptance letter to Hogwarts. Everything that didn't make sense, suddenly did. I really _had_ turned all of the flowers in my Mum's garden purple at the age of four because 'I was having a purple day'. It _was_ me that burst all of the balloons at my cousin's birthday party because that creepy frickin' clown would not leave me alone... Professor McGonagall opened the door to a world straight from one of my fairy tales, for the first time I truly felt like I belonged somewhere." She brought her arm around his waist, pulling herself even tighter against him.

"And the one from the brain fog?" He nudged, trying to keep her talking.

She blushed scarlet, thankful that he couldn't see the traitorous act carried out for what felt like the hundredth time that night. "Well... Ummm... The... The first night that we kissed, actually..."

The sound of him swallowing hard reached her ears before he let out a breathless. "Oh."

Hermione felt a rush of giddiness at being able to cause the boy to come up short. No wonder why he was continuously doing the same to her... It was almost as good as the feeling of power she had when he would relax into their kisses. Not quite, but close. She did not want the feeling to end so she made the rash decision to carry out her fantasy from earlier.

Without warning she hitched her leg up so her knee was across his hip. She vaguely registered that he had choked on a breath at her sudden movement before she slid herself over him until she was straddling his hips. Her eyes found his just as his jaw fell open. There it was, the lighting bolt of power that sent sparks across her skin and down into her pelvis. The feeling caused her back to arch slightly, pushing their hips even closer together.

He groaned and moved his arm from behind his head so his hands could find their way to her knees that were placed on either side of his hips. Agonizingly slowly they inched their way up until they were at mid-thigh keeping her distracted. it was a surprise when he shifted underneath her. The movement caused the growing bulge in his pants to press against her instantly aching sex.

She stared down at him over the curves of her breasts, straining against the knitted blue stitches in her sweater, as she tried to catch her breath for a whole different reason than before. Leaning forward she placed one of her hands on either side of his head. Her curls fell around them like a curtain, brushing the blanket underneath him and blocking out anything but them.

Their lips were only inches apart as she continued to gaze down at him. The surprise and hunger made an interesting mix on his face as they fought for dominance inside his head. If she wasn't so preoccupied she might have even laughed...

Bending even further forward she brought her lips to the side of his neck. The perfect mixture of bergamot, peppermint and cedar flooded her senses, overtaking the normal lavender from her shampoo. She kissed her way up to his earlobe and took the sensitive shell between her teeth. Ever so gently she ran her teeth along the delicate skin. A trick she had learned from him, and she was rewarded with the same response she had given... A shuddered breath escaping from his chest.

His fingers slid up another few inches on her legs before digging into the fleshy skin as his thumbs caressed her inner thighs. And she knew it that moment that she was going to do this. She didn't just want to have sex. She wanted him. The one who could set her on fire with a few simple touches. Hell, she did not just _want_ him... She _needed_ him!

Somehow she was the princess he had wanted from afar for far too long and he was the dragon fighting his instincts to lash out and destroy everything, including her... He was sacrificing himself to try and save his mother... Draco Malfoy was a hero. There was no doubt about it.

She was his princess. He was her dragon. Together they would figure it out. She refused for it to be too late to try. Right then and there they were committing themselves to seeing their story through, no matter what...

She sighed at the thought, causing her hot breath to warm the tender skin of his ear. He groaned again and pulled her forward by the leverage his grip had on her. The tug caused a wondrous friction she hadn't even known she had been craving, smiling against his neck she worked her way towards his lips for a kiss.

This was really going to happen...

 **-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-**

Afterward she laid with him under the soft covers with his arm wrapped tightly around her waist, it was almost as if he was protecting her. The way that he held her had her hip against his manhood, she wouldn't be able to move without waking him. It was a good thing she had no plans of going anywhere, anytime soon. She was basking in the glow of the perfection of the night.

He had made her feel cherished. Not just lusted after... Honestly and truly cherished. Her needs had been paramount, each and every step of the way. He had even kissed her scar... Multiple times. A reassurance to her that it didn't mar her beauty in his eyes. And now, somehow she was lucky enough to be falling asleep in the arms of her hero instead of having resort to memories.

Something told her she wouldn't be having any nightmares tonight. And even if she did... He would be there to help her get through them...

 **-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-**

 _So... What did you think?!_

 _Hope you liked it! I really do!_

 _As Always..._

 _Much love,_  
 _SlytherclawLuv_

 _*If you want all the lemons you missed out on head over to AooO. I am super easy to find, just search for my Pen Name or "Anyone But Me". You will not be missing anything other than some good ole smut (where Draco shows some glimpses of his more dominant side) and a tiny bit of dialogue if you don't. The only thing that you might be interested in is an in-depth description of Hermione's scar, but I do plan on touching on it again in later chapters of the story. So please don't feel obligated to go for the sake of keeping up with any storylines or anything like that._


	27. Chapter Twenty-Six

Hermione stood there nibbling her lip as she waited for Madam Pomfrey to return with what she needed. She had been daft the night before, too caught up in what was happening for her own good. Neither had thought to cast a Conception Charm, which could lead to dire consequences. Ones she wasn't willing to chance even though she was due for her period in a week. Her ovulation peek should have come and gone the week before but...

It was _not_ worth the risk.

So she had swallowed any embarrassment and asked the Healer for a potion on her way to breakfast the next morning. After waking late in Draco's arms she had been in a rush all morning. She had to sneak back into her dorm, take a shower, make herself presentable, gather her books for the day and make it to the Infirmary. All in the time that she usually allotted for just the shower. She still needed to actually get the potion (and the three month supply of Conception Control) that she had asked for, grab a quick breakfast and check her Ancient Runes translations one more time before her first class started.

As she waited impatiently for the older witch she thought back to how she had been woken by soft kisses along her shoulder and an erection poking at her bum. When she had asked the time he had not gotten the romp he had been expecting. Instead she had jumped up with a, "So sorry. Have to get ready!", and quickly found all of her clothes before dressing and rushing from the room. The whole time he had been grumbling about how she could take one morning off.

Went to show he might not know her as well as he _thought_ he did...

She had never missed a class unless otherwise incapacitated, like when she had petrified in Second Year. There wasn't much she could do about being a living statue... And she had no plans to start now. No matter how tempting he was teasing her with his need for a morning session. An education was much more important that satisfying their uncontrollable hormones.

"Ah yes! Here you go Miss Granger." The woman said, interrupting her thoughts. She handed her the small vial of dark beige liquid before continuing. "Bottoms up. You should not feel any ill effects, if you do you should come back immediately so I can check you over."

"I can do that." Hermione assured her, taking the potion and quickly gulping it down. There was a bitter aftertaste but no unusual feelings or anything to worry about.

She gave the empty vial back to Pomfrey who set it aside before she grabbed another three vials from her pocket. She handed them over while explaining that she needed to take the first dose exactly 24 hours from now and should take the rest at the same time each month. It seemed simple enough and much easier than an unplanned pregnancy. Especially one with a boy from one of the most notorious Blood Purist families...

"Thank you Madam Pomfrey. I appreciate it." Hermione told her, truly grateful for the time the Healer had taken to help her. The woman was a Gods' send to the students of Hogwarts. She treated them without asking unneeded questions and never pried for information. All that she wanted to do was make sure they were all in top physical and mental health during their time there. Sometimes they made it tough on her but she took every injury and sickness in stride. Sending them off to Mungo's with no hesitation if it was too much for her capable hands.

"Anytime Dear. Now go get some food into that stomach. You look famished." The older witch told her with a gentle pat on the side of her arm. She gave her a cheerful smile before she turned and went about her business inside of her office.

She slid the vials into her bag, making sure they were safely in the cushioned pocket that she kept her quills and left. She didn't have time to dilly dally, she needed to hurry if she wanted anything to eat until lunch.

 **-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-**

She sighed as she slipped onto the bench next to Ginny. The soreness at the inside of her legs was starting to get annoying. While she didn't regret her choice this was not something she had been expecting and walking seemed to make it even worse. She quickly loaded her plate with eggs and toast, the closest things to her and started in. As she went to reach into her bag with her free had, hoping for those couple of minutes to check over her homework, the girl next to her cleared her throat.

Hermione slowly let her eyes drag over to the redhead. She knew she would want to know what happened the night before so she shoved a big bite of toast into her mouth as she pulled out the book she needed. Placing it on the table in front of her in a futile attempt to ignore her friend.

Ginny slid the book from her reach and leaned in so that no one would be able to overhear them over the chatter from other students who were finishing up. "Nuh-uh! You have to tell me..."

"Don't have the time. Class soon!" She mumbled around the food in her mouth, something she never did. Which she hoped would get her to stop. The girl knew she was pretty big on table manners, it would be an evident display of just how big of a rush she was in.

"I know when your classes start Hermione Granger and you can spare your best friend in the whole world five minutes of your time!" Ginny said with a tone that was such a reminder of her mother it was honestly kind of scary.

Hermione swallowed down the retort about sounding like her mother along with her bite. She didn't want to upset her this early in the day. She sighed again and turned towards her friend before whispering in her ear. "Okay, okay! But you have to stay quiet. No one wants to hear your screeching this early in the morning, alright?"

A smirk crossed the other witch's lips but she made the miming motions for zipping them and throwing the key of her shoulder.

Hermione returned the smirk before shaking her head and sighing again. She knew the girl's reaction was going to be overdramatized and she honestly did not want to deal with it. Early mornings might have the bane of her existence but rushed mornings with people getting in her way was even worse. Her eyes flicked up to Ginny's before she quickly rushed out with it. "I had sex."

Her friend's eyes almost popped out of her head as she tried to keep the excitement at the pronouncement under control. She grabbed on to her arm so tightly the only reason she didn't leave bruises was from the multiple layers of the school uniform. Ginny leaned in and hissed in her ear. "With the Mystery Slytherin?"

"Uhh... Yeah." She snorted at the absurd question. Who else would it have been?

"Girl, you must be doin' it wrong. No one should be this cranky after spending the night with their lover." Was the prodding response she received.

She eyed the girl for a moment before conceding. "I have no caffeine in my system yet Gin. I am sorry for being a moody wench. Forgive me?"

"Of course... So does that mean Lover Boy finally got your panties to untwist? Because those suckers have been wound up tighter than a garden gnome kicked from his burrow."

Yet another sigh left her lungs as she decided to ignore the jibe and reached for the coffee, completely foregoing her normal morning tea. She needed something a bit stronger this morning... She gulped the hot liquid down not caring that her scorched her throat before taking a bite of eggs. Getting a second bite to her mouth in anticipation of Ginny asking anything else. She only had a couple more minutes.

The Fates decided to throw yet another obstacle in her path as Ron slid down to join them from where he had been seated a few feet away, inhaling most of the food on his plate much faster than he could possibly breath. He wiped the crumbs from his sweater before turning to them and asking. "Whatcha whisperin' about?"

Ginny glared over at him knowing he had just broken the moment for her to get any other information. "Nothing for your ears _Ronald_. That was why we were whispering!"

Ron huffed at his sister's rebuff and started stammering about how people couldn't just be nice. The short sibling squabble gave Hermione enough time to chug down the rest of her cup and grab another piece of toast. It was the perfect opportunity to slip away. She just needed to get her book from where it rested without getting spotted...

Very slowly she inched her fingers over until she had the bindings under her grip and gave it a quick yank before Ginny could register what happened and stop her. She pushed the book into her bag and stood up. A rapid "See you!" was on her lips for niceties sake when Ron interrupted the royal chewing out he was being given by clearing his throat.

He stood up as well and reached over the table, grabbing her wrist before she could hurry away. "'Hey wait!"

She wrenched it away from his grasp and took a step back, snapping. "Don't touch me!"

"Okay! Look... I was wonderin' if we could walk to Apparition lessons together on Saturday." He mumbled, his skin turning that bright shade of tomato it was so fond of when he was angry or embarrassed.

"Are you planning on apologizing?" She asked her eyebrow raised in challenge.

"Uhhh... Well..." He squirmed under her unyielding stare looking rather uncomfortable. He had to know by now that he was the one that had done wrong here. Why couldn't he just apologize for his nasty words and ignoring her?

"It is a simple yes or no question Ronald. Are. You. Going. To. Apologize?" She asked again, punctuating each word. Letting him know clearly what her terms for such an arrangement were.

"Yes." He agreed to her terms, looking down at the table instead of in her eye.

"Fine. We need to figure out how to be civil for Harry's sake anyway. Have good day Ginny." She threw out to the girl. Who had sat there quietly and watched the whole conversation as if it was a tennis match, her jaw hanging slightly open at the venom in Hermione's tone and the surprising meekness in Ron's. Neither were traits that were shown very often.

She knew that she would have to deal with even more questions later but at that moment she didn't care. They were all going to be late at this point! She quickly rushed from the Great Hall, the trailing sounds of Ginny badgering Ron with questions about what he had done, gave her an odd burst of satisfaction. The added boost from the caffeine that had finally kicked in probably didn't hurt matters.

Maybe the day wasn't going to be so bad after all...


	28. Chapter Twenty-Seven

Her day _had_ gotten remarkably better. She had aced a pop quiz in Defense Against the Dark Arts, Snape had been looking much too smug the past couple of days so she knew it had to be coming. And she had done much better than she thought on her Ancient Runes essay from over the Holidays...

So she had a happy smile on her face when she turned to go into the library, intent on using the time of her break before Arithmancy wisely... She needed to double check an equation that she was pretty sure she had transcribed incorrectly. Trying not to waste time she had already started to study the parchment in front of her to find the probable blunder, so she was not paying attention when she walked straight into the back of a student who was blocking the entrance.

She dropped the parchment in her hands and mumbled a curse under her breath as she bent down to grab it. When she stood up she gave a quick "Sorry, sorry!" as she tried to inch around the body and surrounding group. Hermione's eyes flicked up to find the face of Draco staring down at her over his shoulder and her lame excuse got stuck on her tongue.

She had to fight off the instant need to smile up at him and wrap her arms around his waist. The faces of his companions were a reminder her of where they were... And that such acts were not allowed around any sets of eyes. Her gaze broke away from his and landed on Nott and Parkinson. Nott looked bored with the turn of events but as usual the witch's eyes brightened at the chance to torment her favorite toy.

"Nevermind..." She sneered, stepping back from the group. Responding in the way she would have if she wasn't sneaking around with the self appointed head of their little group. She tried to go around them again but Pansy stepped in front of her, stopping her from entering.

"You should show your betters more respect." The girl's eyes narrowed at her.

"When I find some, I will. Now if you would please excuse me..." She had to fight herself back from rolling her eyes at the tired routine. Once again she moved to try and go around.

Pansy grabbed her at the elbow and pulled her back in front of her, before leaning down to hiss in her face. "One day you will be where you belong... At the bottom of a grave. Just you wait and see Mudblood."

The anger that girl's words flamed inside of her was dangerous. She knew she was about to lose control and she had heard worse but her patience was still thin from her hectic morning. Her hand twitched towards her wand, itching to use it against her. She stopped herself and yanked her arm from the witch's tight grip. "For such a smart girl, you really are quite unintelligent. It is sad... Such potential to only end up being another witless bigot. You should work on your threats Parkinson. They are getting old real fast."

She turned to leave, no longer worried about the potential mistake. She would take the docked point over this ridiculousness. She heard the girl shriek and then something hard hit the back of her head, making her vision tunnel for a second. She blinked a couple of times before it returned to normal and then whipped back around. Her gaze found the offending object and her glare centered on the witch, who looked just as shocked at her outburst as her two companions. "Did you just throw a _book_ at me?"

A snarl crossed her face as she closed the short distance between them. She put her face right up into Pansy's so there was only a few inches to keep them apart. "Why are you so afraid of me?"

The girl's eyes widened at her challenge, but she didn't step down. Instead she moved like she was going to physically attack Hermione, on instinct she pulled out her wand and placed it under the taller girl's chin, causing her to instantly still. Pansy hadn't been expecting her to retaliate. Usually she just ran away, too afraid of her losing control over her emotions to be willing to verbally spar.

Swallowing hard around the tip of her wand Pansy continued to shoot daggers at her. "I am not afraid of your disgustingly vile existence bitch."

"Oh but I think you are..." Hermione's eyes narrowed as she leaned up even farther, forcing the witch have to make eye contact with her as she started in. "I think you are _paralyzed_ with fear... Why wouldn't you be? Your perfect little world is being invaded by the one thing you hate most. We are like cockroaches after all. You exterminate one and another ten take its place."

A smirk worked its way across her lips as she kept her rant up. Draco, Theodore and Pansy were all enraptured with her tirade. It wasn't like they would be able to do anything to help anyways... Not without her hexing the poor girl under her wand. "It really is too bad that you need us. Oh yes, that is right Parkinson. How long do you really think your little Pure Blood Utopia will last? Your birth rates are dropping fast. So even if you are able to keep up a sustainable population... Just how long do you think your offspring have until they start showing the signs of incest? How long do you think you have before they all start coming out looking like the tumors of their parents' hatred instead of wizards? _Hmmmm?_ Just how fucking long do you think you have until the whole of Wizarding Europe is extinct? Like I said... So much potential wasted... Especially when what you are cheering for is your own dimwitted demise."

Another hard swallow was her reward. The girl started to reply but she moved the tip of her wand down to her voice box, sneering. "I didn't tell you that you could speak yet. Now... I do not expect us to leave this little heart-to-heart as friends. I don't even expect you not to harass me in the future like the inbred piece of trash you are. But I do expect you to leave me alone for the rest of the day. Is that clear enough for you?"

She waited for a response before realizing that she had not loosened her hold her wand... Or told Pansy that she was allowed to speak...

Nott cleared his throat and announced in a sing song voice. "Pince is coming..."

She pocketed her wand and took a couple steps back from the fellow student. She peaked over the other girl's shoulder and saw that he was correct... The tall librarian that had an unfortunate resemblance to a vulture swooped in on the confrontation. Her wide eyes centered on the two girls. "What in the Fat Friar's name is going on out here?"

"Nothing... Just a simple misunderstanding." She tried saying.

"Miss Granger do not lie to me! I witnessed you threatening Miss Parkinson with your wand and I would like to know why." The woman said matter-of-factly, staring down her long nose her.

"She ran into Draco and when I asked her to apologize she attacked me!" Pansy cried, using the victim card to try to sway the woman into believing her faux innocence.

A roll of the eyes was Hermione's only response to the accusation. The fact that she had threatened the girl looked suspicious enough. Trying to deny it would have made her look even more guilty...

The older witch tutted for a second before turning her full attention on Hermione. "I am afraid I will have to notify Professor McGonagall about this Miss Granger. I am extremely disappointed in you. Normally you are such a nice girl... Expect a summons sometime today."

She nodded, acknowledging her appalling actions for exactly what they were. Now that she had calmed some she was disappointed in herself more than the librarian ever could be. Even if her words had been earned and Pansy had gone to attack her... She was still a Prefect. Physical or magical violence against another student was extremely frowned upon. Abuse of power and all that. She looked down at the ground before replying. "Of course... Is that all? I must get going or I will be late for Arithmancy..."

"Yes, you may go." Pince said prior to turning towards Pansy. "And you, Miss Parkinson, your Head of House will also be made aware of this little interaction. See to it that you tell him the truth about the events that took place here. It would be such a shame to end up with an even longer sentence for something as rude and unavoidable as lying..."

She took a great sense of satisfaction at watching the girl's face turn a shade of magenta before she nodded. Madam Pince tutted again as she turned and walked back into the library. Off to find the next offenders...

Pansy turned back to her and spit out. "You are going to regret this."

A laugh sprung from her lips and smiled up at the girl who was towering over her threateningly. "Dear Sweet Pansy... I regret many things in my life, but telling you the truth about the pathetic little lies you tell yourself... You know, the ones you whisper so you can calm down enough to sleep at night. _Will. Never. Be. One. Of. Them._ Have fun with your arranged marriage to your first cousin, I hear that they can be a mixed bag. Hopefully Daddy picked a good one for you. Now have a wonderful rest of your day!"

She quickly turned around so she could leave and her eyes met Draco's. Both his eyebrows were raised in shock at just how vicious she was, but there was a hint of admiration there too. Her smile reached her eyes as she flounced away with an air of confidence she wasn't sure had truly earned. Regardless she was proud of herself. No matter the consequences. She had finally stood up to one of her worst tormenters. In the long run it probably wouldn't make much of a difference and in all actuality probably make all of the bullying from her worse... But that was a worry for another day.

 **-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-**

As she laid there that night she still had that weird feeling of pride floating around in her veins, as if she was riding a high from her assault on Pansy. McGonagall had given her four detentions. A sentence that was lowered from fourteen once Hermione had confided what had actually happened. The woman had sworn that Parkinson would be dealt with in the strictest way possible, but they both knew that was up to Snape. Each Head of House was allowed to dispense punishment as they saw fit. And she couldn't complain considering...

She thought back to what she had said. There was a hope that her words would sink in, just a tiny bit. Even though she had been raging mad she still had enough wits about her to know straight out attacking the chit would leave no lasting impression. Only more bad blood, no pun intended. Maybe her point would wiggle something in her and Nott's heads, it was a slim chance, but one she couldn't give up. The more followers of the Voldemort's that had seeds of doubts about his insane plans, the better.

Draco had, of course, kept silent through the whole bizarre encounter. Something he had taken to do whenever anyone started in on her. He no longer joined in. Just stood or sat there with that cocky smirk firmly in place. The cold and unnerving Malfoy mask proudly on display. She knew it had to make him as uncomfortable as it did her. There was no joy having to stand to the side when anyone from "her group" sent insults his way. It was one of the harder parts of their little... relationship... thing, they had going on.

Slowly her body started to relax towards sleep. She didn't know what the future held. No one did. But she couldn't shake the feeling that something about hers had changed. Like everything was starting to tilt and her current choices were constructing a different path than the one originally meant for her...

Her last thoughts were of how she would be forced to face it head on. Good _or_ bad...

 **-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-**

 _Uhhhh ohhhhh! Hermione is showing her streak of hidden badass, lol!_

 _Next chapter will be our girl and Ron's convo! What do you think is going to happen there?_

 _And most importantly... How exactly do you think Miss Parkinson is going to retaliate?_

 _Let me know down below! I am honestly interested in your guys' answers! Might even get a couple of ideas... ;)_

 _Hope your nights are going well._

 _As Always..._

 _Much love,_  
 _SlytherclawLuv_


	29. Chapter Twenty-Eight

A few days later Hermione waited for Ron in the common room. It was about time to head down and if he didn't show soon she planned to leave without him. She should have stuck with walking to the class with Harry, but he had gratefully bowed out when she had told him that Ron wanted to speak with her. It seemed that he wanted their relationship mended more than either of them did. Of course, the tension caused by his two best friends fight had mighty awkward for him...

Her annoyance had started to turn into actual anger before he finally made his appearance with Lavender tucked under his arm. When he saw her sitting there waiting for him, he leaned down and whispered something in the girl's ear. Her eyes found her too and gave an exasperated roll before she stomped off to join Parvati. Ron watched her leave before coming over and she almost felt bad for the git from how dejected he looked. Must be a hard life choosing to be with someone who threw a fit anytime you spoke to one of your friends.

"Are you ready to go?" He asked her.

"Are you sure you're a _llowed_?" She countered.

Looking over his shoulder at his girlfriend and her friend, he sighed and shook his head. "No, but it doesn't matter. Let's go."

"Alright." Her response was simple as she stood and followed him from the room. She could feel the glare on the back of her head but didn't give the witch the pleasure of turning around to look.

Once they were out in the corridor Ron sighed heavily again and started along the way to the Great Hall. They were supposed to gather outside but the melting snow and unexpected drop in temperature caused a freezing swampland which necessitated a move indoors. She waited for him to start, nibbling on a scab that had formed inside of her lip. He knew the conditions for the conversation and she could walk the whole way in silence if she had to.

After a few moments of the unpleasantness caused by the difficult strain between them, he caved. "Look... I'm sorry, okay? I should not have said anything 'bout you takin' McLaggen to that party."

" _And?_ " She asked. Giving nothing away on if she bought his apology or not from her neutral expression.

"And not writin' back over break." He mumbled.

"You know... That is what hurt the most. I could have let your overstepping boundaries go and I tried to! I told you that I understood you were caught up in the anger of the moment and we had both said some awful things... But you decided to ignore me... For over a month!" She rushed out in her typical manner as she fought back tears. The sting caused by the all too familiar feeling of ostracization still fresh.

His gaze fell to the ground as they walked and he started to shuffle his feet, slowing their progress down considerably. "I am sorry! I was just... I don't know..."

"Jealous?" She supplied easily.

"Yeah... I guess." He said with a shrug.

"Why would you be jealous when you have Lavender, Ron? That doesn't make any sense!" She asked, annoyed with not being able to understand his logic.

Ron fidgeted for a second and started to turn red before meeting her stare. "I guess... Because I like you too."

"And what? Just because you suddenly discovered feelings for me that means you have any right to tell me whom I can, or cannot, spend my time with? Even if I had decided to start dating Cormac... As ludicrous as the idea is, that doesn't mean you have any sort of claim on me." She told him bluntly. It wasn't the time for treading lightly and being concerned over hurt feelings. The new development of them both finding someone had put new boundaries up that had not been previously needed. On either side...

"I know that. I guess... I don't know. I always thought we'd end up together eventually, ya know?" He asked her. The same dreamy look he got when imaging Quidditch plays settling onto his face.

She snorted before rolling her eyes. "So I was just supposed to wait around for you? Like... Like... I don't know... Some sad little girl hoping for her turn?"

"'Supposed to" makes it sound like you've moved on." He whispered. His feet had stopped moving him forward as the realization of what she must have meant glued him in place. The sudden pause made her have to turn around and take a few steps back so their conversation could continue.

"I have. What else was I supposed to do? I've already waited two years for you Ronald. You never acted on what happened at the Yule Ball. I put the Quaffle in your hands, so to speak, and you never reciprocated! " It was her turn to sigh before continuing. "Besides you are forgetting about your _girlfriend!_ "

"I don't want to lose you 'Mione." He whispered, ignoring the reminder of his commitment to another. The emotion that seeped into voice causing it to crack was brutal for her to tolerate.

"I never belonged to you to begin with. You just counted on me to be there when you where ready. Something I never agreed to. I want to be with someone where I am not second best." She told him truthfully. "I don't think I could date you now or in the future. It wouldn't feel right anymore... For so many reasons..."

"When did I say you are second best?!" He challenged indignantly, the tender and soft tone instantly lost at his irritation at her admission.

"You didn't have to Ron! Your actions speak plainly. Do I have to remind you again that I was there! _For two freaking years_! Sitting in the background while you lusted after anything with tits and an ass. I literally sat there and listened to you drool over everything these other girls had that I, obviously,. did not." Finally breaking. she couldn't stop a tear from sliding down her cheek, which she quickly reached up and wiped away. "I sat there for months and watched you making out with a brainless mandrake that never stops wailing unless her mouth is suctioned to yours!"

Hermione could feel her heart hammering in her chest as her own emotions switched from the sadness and grief to anger. It was unbelievable what he expected of her. It was not only unbelievable but grossly unfair. To both her and Lavender... For once she could actually feel for the girl. No wonder she had such an issue whenever she and Ron spent time together. While she tended to give Brown a lot of crap she could be very perceptive when she wanted to be and probably knew about his feelings long before either of them had figured it out.

Now on a tangent she continued to rant. "Don't be a fucking coward, alright? You made your choice. So go run off and find Lavender, before you break another girl's heart. On your way you should grow up and realize we are not things made for your amusement. We have feelings and should not be picked up and dropped at your leisure! You know what... I don't think I am ready to accept your apology yet. It doesn't look like you have actually learned anything. As horrible as it is for Harry, I think we should continue to give each other space. That way neither of us say anything that we will regret later."

Looking shell-shocked Ron stood there blinking as he tried to absorb everything she had just said. She forged on ahead, intent on getting lost in the crowd on the staircase...

 **-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-**

That night she was finishing up rounds before heading up to meet Draco. He had gotten word for her to meet him in "his room" when she was done. How she was supposed to do that when she didn't know how to summon his door was still a mystery to her but she doubted he would leave her outside for long if she could not figure it out. He was bound to come and see what was keeping her, right?

She hoped that he wouldn't leave her out there for long. Harry was being obsessive with wanting to know what he was up to because he had overheard a conversation between Draco and Crabbe during their Apparition lesson. Whatever he had eavesdropped had just reinforced his views that whatever Draco was trying to hide was malicious. Why else would you need lookouts?

It took everything in her to stop herself from pointing out that both she and Ron had done the same thing for him many a time. And while they were never up to anything good. It never had been _evil_ either…

The whole afternoon he had sat in the common room and watched the Marauder's Map, hoping to catch Draco somewhere he wasn't supposed to be. He had disappeared completely from the thing for a couple of hours and it had sent Harry into a meltdown, trying to come up with ideas on where he had gone. Hermione had a pretty good guess... And was grateful that there was one spot in the school that was secret from the prying magic of the map.

Now that she was healed and no longer uncomfortable from her first time, she was looking forward to seeing what tonight might have instore. She made her way back up to Gryffindor Tower, sure that she was missing at least a few students who were out past curfew but unable to muster up enough concentration for the job at hand. Her mind was much too wrapped up in the images of Draco leaning over her or caught up in a groan of pleasure that flashed before her eyes.

She was interrupted by the sound of a male clearing their throat and searched the darkness for the source. Her eyebrow rose when she saw Draco leaning against the wall. One of his legs was raised so the sole of his shoe was against the stone causing the leg to be bent at the knee, while his arms were lazily crossed against his chest. Her mind got hung up on the fact that he always managed to look so damned good. It must have taken him forever to implement that perfectly chilled exterior. Did he practice in the mirror? She had always known him to be able to do it, even at eleven. At what age had he started try to imitate the regal demeanor of his father for it to come off as overt cockiness?

His smirked over at her as she stopped in her tracks and crooked his finger in a "come hither" motion before slipping under the tapestry to the corridor that would transport you to a closet close to the Divination Tower. Yet another barely spoken about shortcut that the castle offered to those smart enough to find it...

She hesitated for a second before quickly following him. She knew that she needed to warn him that they couldn't meet outside of their little sanctuary. At least until Harry cooled down on his hunt for anything to criminalize the boy. She hoped Draco wouldn't give him an excuse to start to pry deeper. There would be too many factors and potential complications if she had to worry about Harry also running around after him under the Invisibility Cloak...

As soon as she was under the security of cover he wrapped his arms around her. She sighed contentedly at the comfort the simple gesture provided. This was what she had needed. It wasn't Ginny's arms that had offered a shoulder to cry on when she had found the girl that afternoon and told her the whole conversation with Ron. How the whole thing had made her feel inadequate. It wasn't Harry's quick hug or mumbled, "It'll be okay. You'll see.", when she had told him that she and Ron hadn't been able to resolve anything. It was him and this... And the way he made her feel.

He pressed her up against the wall, keeping his arms around her so she wasn't cut by the rough edged stone. His lips found hers and instantly she forgot all of her worries. Her hands slid up between their bodies and cupped either side of his neck so that she could pull him down for a deeper kiss. In the few days since their last encounter she had forgotten just how amazing it felt to have his lips working against hers. How he could her turn into a puddle of need with just a few touches.

Her memories would never be able to do it justice.

She could feel how fast his heart raced under her fingertips and she let go, confident that he wasn't going to pull away anytime soon. This allowed her hands to travel down to where they could rest on his chest. His tongue slid over her bottom lip, requesting access to be able to taste and she eagerly obliged. Moaning into the kiss when he finally did.

Slowly her mind's nagging started to break through the hormone induced haze. There was some reason that doing this right here was a bad idea...

He slipped one arm out from behind her, still cradling her with the other and started working her button-up out of the waistband of her skirt. As if he sensed that she was starting to get distracted by some thought in her head, he moved his lips to her neck. Nibbling and kissing the skin there. She could feel the desperation behind the attempt to get her focused back on the moment.

But there was _something_... Something to do with Harry...

He moved up to her earlobe and nipped at the tender bud. Hermione's head fell to the side as she sighed. He already knew the exact buttons to push with her. As if he had mental map of...

... _The Map! Shit!_

She used the position of her hands on his chest to forcibly push him away a few inches. Him being pressed up against her like that did nothing for her sluggish mental facilities. "What... What are you doing here?"

"I could not wait another minute in that room knowing you were roaming the halls... Alone." He said as he reached to wrap her back up in his arms.

She shook her head, her eyes widening as the mounting fear of getting caught quickly registered. "You can't be here. Especially not with me. Harry will see. You have to go!"

"Wha... What are you talking about Granger?" He asked, his eyes darkening over as he tried to keep up with the sudden shift in direction their encounter had taken.

"I can't explain right now. Just... Just meet me in twenty minutes like we planned. Please... Please trust me." She begged him as she turned his body around so he was facing down the corridor. She gave his a quick push to get him started.

He looked like he wanted to argue with her, but something clicked as he stared into her eyes. Maybe the fear that she was sure was readable on her face finally reached through his own fantasy for the night. Or maybe he decided that making her aggravated wasn't in his best interest. Either way, he shrugged. "Fine."

"Thank you! Now go!" She huffed as she gave one last gentle shove. She instantly turned and slipped out from under the tapestry before hurriyng to her common room.

Hoping and praying Harry hadn't been searching for him...


	30. Chapter Twenty-Nine

She let out the trapped breath she had been holding since leaving Draco. Harry, Ginny, Ron and Dean were all huddled around a charmed piece of parchment, where different Quidditch scrimmages played out. Occasionally Harry would move one of the Xs or Os on the paper and it would all start again. Thank the Gods! He had found something better to do with his time than stalk his childhood nemesis...

Hermione gave the small group a wave before she walked as calmly as she could to the stairs that led up to the Girl's Dormitories. Once she was sure she was out of their lines of sight she rushed up the steps and into the shared room she had occupied for the last six years.

Parvati was relaxed back against her headboard reading "Witch Weekly" and looked up at her hasty entrance. She quickly brought down her speed before offering the girl a half smile. Trying not to look suspicious she went over to her trunk and started to gather a pair of pajamas and her shower basics. She figured that was as good of an excuse as any to be running off so late. After a long day it wasn't uncommon for her to use the Prefect's Bathroom for a little R & R.

She felt Patil's stare on the back of her head so it wasn't a surprise when she piped up. "You look keyed up tonight Hermione."

"Oh do I? It has been a long week." She stated as off-handily as she could while she grabbed the top book from the stack of muggle literature she had neatly organized in rows along the back of her trunk.

"Not going to sneak away with Cormac then?" The girl questioned, always the one for gossip.

"Uhhh... _No_... We decided on the night of the party to just be friends. No real connection there for either of us, unfortunately." She explained as vaguely as she could without digging herself into an even deeper hole when it came to that particular lie.

The dark eyed beauty sighed behind her and she couldn't stop herself from looking over her shoulder at her mock investment in Hermione's life. Parvati continued. "That's a shame."

"I suppose..." She hedged. Unsure of where she was trying to go with the conversation.

"Where are you going then?" She asked out-right.

"To take a bath..."

"Oh right... _Duh_."

"Was there something more direct that you wanted to say or ask Parvati?" Hermione asked, done playing games with the girl. If she wanted fodder for gossip with Lavender this was a waste of valuable time! She had told Draco she would be there twenty minutes.

"Actually... I have been thinking for awhile about how you have such rotten luck when it comes to boys..." The girl shifted on the bed as if uncomfortable with Hermione's unrelenting stare. "And well... You know that people wouldn't judge you if... If you liked girls, right?"

She was shocked into stillness at where the witch's mind had gone. She should have seen it coming considering how old she was and her romantic history, which was admittedly practically none... But she had never given any kind of notions to the contray of being heterosexual. If anything she would have assumed people thought she just didn't see anyone in a romantic or sexual light.

"Uh... Right. And... I mean, thank you for the... the acceptance, but I don't. Like girls, that is." She told her awkwardly as she turned back and put everything she needed in the bag she normally used to transport her bathroom supplies.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean anything by it. I just wanted you to know... That if you were. It wouldn't be as big of a deal as it is in the Muggle World." Parvati rushed out, her cheeks flaming with embarrassment at the social blunder.

" _It's fine_. Really..."

"If you are sure..."

"I am. Thanks again... I am going to go. Have a good night!" She told her, giving another small smile. It was moments like this that made it hard to dislike her as much as Lavender. The witch might be a gossip, but she also had a sweet side.

"You too. See you around." Patil replied before disappearing back into her magazine.

She picked up the bag and walked from the dorm. Making sure to have her prop slung over her left shoulder so the group waiting for her at the bottom of the stairs would be able to figure out where she was going. She hurried back through the common room, there was no time for any more deviations if she was going to make the constraint she had put on herself.

Plus she now had the added worry of figuring out how to dispel the newest round of rumors that were making rounds while keeping the only proof she could potentially use hidden. Her life was rapidly turning into a even bigger mess...

 **-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-**

She stood in front of the wall as she stared at the the multi-hued gray surface, trying in vain to figure out exactly what to ask it. She didn't know what he thought up in his mind when he summoned the room! It couldn't be as easy as just asking for it right? She knew from last year that if the occupants did not want to be found it would be impossible to get the door to conjure.

She bit her lip for a second before leaning forward and whispering to the slab of stone directly in her line of sight. "I know this is stupid. But... Could you help me out here? I shouldn't but I really need to get into that room. I need this escape from the crap in my life for a little bit and... And that boy in there... He is waiting for me. He actually likes me for some crazy reason. So just let me in... _Please?_ "

"Alright... Now that I am done talking to a fricking piece of rock like an idiot..." She mumbled to herself as she stepped away and started pacing. Mid-stride she made the quick decision to go with the easiest- and least likely to work- option first. "I need a door to Draco Malfoy's room. I need a door to Draco Malfoy's room. I need a door to Draco Malfoy's room."

Hermione closed her eyes tightly. Hoping that whatever magic that controlled the room was able to understand her plea...

Her predicament made her think of Luna and how she could be found doing the exact same thing from time to time. She could not deny that the girl was gifted witch but it was hard for Hermione to actually listen to her when she got like that. Much easier to tune her out while she ranted about moon frogs than try to have a logical conversation about it. If they did it usually led to Hermione leaving aggravated and Luna staring off dreamily, without a care in the world.

So when Ron had asked her why she talked to the walls one night and the witch had gone into a long description on how Hogwarts would listen to those who slowed down enough to talk. She had tuned out at the beginning thinking it another ramble along the lines of nargles or dabberblimps. But what if she had been right? Maybe the girl was much more observant than any of them gave her credit for...

She sighed and slowly opened her eyes to peak... A satisfied smirk settled on her face when the saw the door she had asked for in place on the blank wall that had been there moments before. She quickly stepped forward and grasped the cool metal doorknob, afraid it would disappear. For good measure she muttered a quick, "Thank you!", before she opened it and stepped inside.

Hermione was momentarily confused at her orientation. Instead of entering and the first thing she saw being the big bed, it was the bookcases... With the actual door to the room occupying it's normal space, a few feet away on the wall to the right. She closed the door behind her and watched as it literally fell apart. Much like the entrance to Diagon Alley, but instead of an opening being left, it was an unblemished wall. She turned back to the empty room and shook her head. She must not have been specific enough but it had still worked so that was all that truly mattered.

Draco was nowhere in sight and she found herself wondering if he had decided to bail. She wouldn't be able to blame him if had because of her rude behavior earlier...

The realization that she had unrestricted access to the room slowly dawned on her and she set her bag on the cushion of the closest chair before slipping from her cloak and other outerwear. She set them along the back, smoothing out the fabric so it wouldn't crinkle. As soon as she was done she made a beeline for the one item in the room that she had been wanting to explore the most.

The bookshelves...

When she stood in front of the large structures she tried to concentrate on a small section of ten books. Each one stayed the exact same, a distinct and substantial looking outline of the framework was there, but the title was a blurry mess. As if they were enchanted to keep all of their owner's secrets, even his tastes in literature. She reached up and ran her fingers along the bottom of the spines to make sure they were physically there. The soft fraying fabric that made her itch with the want to pull one from the confines of it's brothers was very much real.

She knew from her time in the DA classroom that you could summon things that you needed. They had even had a bookcase that held many volumes of works to help on their quest of learning, but it had been a mundane standard storage facility like any other. This was something new and for the moment at least, exciting. It was possible that the thing was like a tiny extension of the room itself. Maybe all she had to do was ask for a title...

Hermione imagined the easiest book for her mind to picture... "A History of Magic". She was on her third copy because she had read the other two to tatters. She watched as the book under her fingers transform into an extra replica. When she lifted her fingers it morphed back to the obscure hazy version of a book from before. She played with the unique ability for a couple of minutes. Pulling up the various titles that popped into her head.

As the texts became more and more oblique she wondered if it was somehow connected to the Hogwarts shelves... She concentrated on the last book she had studied in the Restricted Section when she was trying to find any information for Harry about Horocruxes. She had, of course, found barely anything. Only scraps of extremely vague, not even worth the time, descriptions. Just how far was the bookcases' reach?

A smirk crossed her lips when the ancient tomb came into being under her fingertips. She pulled it from the shelf, opening it carefully so she would not tear the delicate pages. Her eyes ran over the hand-drawn calligraphy. Each word carefully etched and flourished by an artist long before it had ended up here- in her hands. Even if the contents were not for the faint of heart, there was no denying the beauty.

Her head turned automatically to the sound of a door opening. And there Draco was... Standing in the doorway of the bathroom.

His hair was still damp and hung onto his forehead messily. The way he was wearing his button up shirt open, showing off those sculpted muscles, made flashbacks of their last time together in the room dance tantalizingly before her eyes. His pants laid loosely on his hips, the fact that he wore no underwear was made apparent by how low they sat. His pubic bone laid just under where the fabric started to cover him from her hungry eyes.

Her mind blanked on what she was doing... And she felt the book slide from her hands, she tried to grab it before it fell to the ground with a loud thump. A blush traveled to her cheeks but she didn't bend down to pick it up, much too distracted by the fine specimen of male standing just a few feet away.

His eyebrow raised as his gaze flicked down to the book and then back up to her. "You should really treat books better Granger... Especially Family Heirlooms."

Her fingers suddenly felt like she had just dipped them in oil. It was almost as if there was a residue left on her skin from where she had made contact with the cover and pretty pages.

She wondered if it was psychological or if the thing was able to leave the taint of hatred from the generations of owners on her skin...

 **-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-**

 _Dun. dun, dun!... LoL!_

 _Hope you all have been liking it! It's been pretty quiet on the review front lately... Which is perfectly ok! Just harder to gage how people are responding._

 _What has been your favorite part of the last few chapters? Mine has to be the confrontation between Pansy and Hermione. It was a blast to write._

 _Let me know, down below!_

 _As always..._

 _Much love,_  
 _SlytherclawLuv_


	31. Chapter Thirty

He walked over, picked up the book, checked for damage and slipped it back onto the shelf before turning around to look down at her.

Her brain was still trying to catch up to the fact that she had unknowingly had a little jaunt through the Malfoy's Private Library. It was without a doubt a creepy thought and horrid idea to ever do again... But there was no denying the potential wealth of dark knowledge at her fingertips if she could figure out what titles would actually help her.

While the older Malfoy had lost much of his Dark Arts collection during the raids after the First Wizarding War, everyone had heard that he was able to re-amass most of it through deals made with Ministry employees and various black market dealings. It was hard to imagine he would not have put protections in place to keep the most important pieces from prying hands again. There was a high probability that the elusive answers for Harry about horocuxes were right there in front of her...

Her eyes snapped guiltily over to Draco and her cheeks flooded with her shame. She shouldn't even think of using him like that... The self-reproach made her shift her gaze down to the ground before she finally responded to his teasing chastisement from a few moments earlier. "Sorry. I didn't think you were here..."

"So you make it a habit of going through people's things while they are not there?" He asked her as that antagonizing smirk slid across his lips.

"No... I was curious. Bookworm here... I figured there had to be some kind of trick to it."

"Well... I guess we should consider ourselves lucky you didn't stumble upon some cursed addition of 'Legal Rules for Roving Sprites' or something." He sighed.

"True... I thought that they were summoned from the Library. I didn't even think that the books could be coming from somewhere else." She told him honestly. And she really hadn't. It was still hard for her, even after six years, to remember that her normal escape from the world could be turned into a deadly weapon in the wrong hands. Just like with that jewelry box, she had let her guard down and could have gotten herself cursed or killed because of it.

He took her hand and led her over to the bed. Leaving her to stand and make the choice to join him in much the same way he had the other night. When he slipped his hand from hers, he went and laid back on the bed. He slipped his arms behind his head causing his shirt to fall open and the fabric to pool around his hips, giving a better view of his sinewy upper body.

Once again she found herself standing there, unable to move. Frozen in her bafflement on how she could get so lucky... How two months ago this scene could have starred in a humiliating nightmare instead of a snapshot straight from one of her best memories. There was no other word for it... She was completely _baffled_.

Draco sensed her hesitation and his eyes flashed that dark gray of a coming thunderstorm before settling back down. He cleared his throat and started with a heavy question. "So... How would Pothead be able to see us hidden in a rarely traveled hallway, Granger?"

Her eyebrows came together as she decided to go the truth. Or as much of it as she could give.. "I can't tell you specifics. He just... He... He has a way of seeing where people are in the castle sometimes. In here, the magic that blocks other people from finding it unless the current occupier gives permission, must work on... Other kinds of magic as well."

He scowled up at her as what she was trying to say registered. "Wait... Golden Boy is _watching_ me?"

She couldn't remember if she had actually said that Harry was watching him specifically but she nodded anyways. "Yes... Closely, I might add."

" _That little fucker_... And that is all you are going to give me?" He asked her incredulously.

"Are you going to tell me what you have to do for Him?" She challenged.

Every muscle in his body instantly went tense with her request. He let her go from his piercing gaze as he switched to staring up at the ceiling above him. "No. It wouldn't be safe to involve you."

"Exactly... We both have things we cannot talk about. I meant it back there in that hallway, Draco. You are going to have to trust me..." She knew it was a crap explanation but it was all she could give without betraying other confidences.

He nodded before lifting his head to lock stares with her again. "Okay."

He made it look as if it was as simple as that. She knew the choice had to of been much harder than that. If the situation had been reversed she would have nibbled on her lip like a mouse as she tried to decide the right course of action. Instead he looked as if he was just passing the sugar for tea.

"Good." She said as she watched his eyes roam over her body. She knew she had to look a mess. She was still wearing the white button-up and dark wash jeans combo she had decided on for convenience this morning. After their Apparition lessons she had to do another round of detention with McGonagall. They had graded Third and Four Year essays all afternoon. After dinner there was an hour of devoted homework time and then Prefect rounds. She hadn't had time to change or even glance in a mirror...

She looked over her shoulder at the room he had just vacated. While crawling into the bed and curling up next to him looked like a very good option... So did a chance to get clean after such a long day.

He cleared his throat getting her attention back on him, with a teasing smirk he told her. "If you promise not to come out of there looking like a second rate version of yourself, you are more than welcome to use the facilities."

A blush crept across her cheeks before she answered with a half smile. "I can't make any promises. But you should feel confident in the choice since Ginny isn't here to help me."

"Ahhh... The She-Weasel is to blame..."

Hermione sighed as she made her way over to the chair that she had decided to use as a place to hold her things. "I really wish you wouldn't call my friends names like that."

"That is rich coming from the girl who called one of my friends an "inbred piece of trash" a couple of days ago." He responded with a taunting tone to his voice.

She grabbed her bag before she turned around and met his look. "True... But my friends don't make it a habit to tell you that they wished you were dead..."

"So implications do not count?" He asked testily.

She pursed her lips before she shook her head and made her way over to the door to the loo. He was right, of course, while her friends had never come out and actually said as much to his face... Harry and Ron, at least, didn't have to. The heated confrontations over the years had left little to the imagination on how any of them felt about one another. And Ginny... Well Ginny wasn't his biggest fan either. None of her friends were. Other than, maybe, Luna who would wonder aloud what it would be like to be raised in a Blood Purist home. The girl was the first person she had ever heard put it in a pitying light and she hadn't even given the stance much thought until recently.

"I did not think so..." He said quietly as she walked past him.

When she stopped in front of the door she looked over her shoulder at him and sighed before saying. "No... You are right. It does. Sometimes it is hard to remember that the vitriol is aimed from both sides."

And with those closing words she opened the door and slipped into the bathroom effectively ending the conversation.

 **-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-**

When she was done with the shower she stood in front of the mirror above the vanity and stared at herself. She had planned on walking out in nothing but the towel wrapped around her and now that the moment had come she couldn't find the confidence that had given her the idea in the first place.

So she just stood there... Frozen within the insecurities of her own mind...

She was trying to figure out exactly what Draco liked so much. And was coming up painfully short. She wasn't ugly but she wasn't gorgeous either. She was... _Plain_. A solid five. Maybe six, now that her breasts and hips had decided to play catch up. But there was absolutely nothing that made her stand out...

Other than her hair, which didn't look too bad in the moment. The curls were weighed down from the shower. A natural way to make the mess look softer and less frizzy. It wouldn't last long, of course... The hair would dry and turn into the craziness it usually was. Her body was framed by the long locks, all the way down to her hips. She would loose the extra five inches she had by morning.

Her gaze traveled the rest of her body. There was a pink flush to her skin from the heat trapped in the small room and the yellow flecks in her eyes stood out against the brown hues of most of her irises. Hinting at the anger she felt at the fear that was tightly coiled deep in her stomach. Her lips were pulled down into a slight frown, causing her bottom lip to pout slightly.

There could have been something there but it was hard for her to look at herself objectively...

Especially since she had been avoiding mirrors that were large enough to take in her whole body like the plague for the last seven months. Almost all of the noticing she had done about her growing figure had been done completely clothed. Now that she had forced herself to do so again she had to admit that it did not look half bad. Marred though her body was with the large scar across her middle it was all curves and graceful slopes... Distinctly Feminine.

But she saw better specimens of the female body multiple times a day. So it could not be as simple as her looks...

Maybe that was the beauty of it. It wasn't one thing that kept them coming back for more. They both had to have a plethora of reasons for risking what they did. She knew her list was extensively long... Why should his be any different?

It was with that thought in mind that Hermione shakily tighten her grip on the towel and lifted her frown up into something that resembled a smile. She took a deep breath before stealing herself and opened the door. Her eyes instantly found him, still lounging on the bed and staring up at the ceiling. She was able to watch as he leaned up and took her in. The way his eyes widen caused a choked giggle to get caught in her throat.

She let out the trapped breath from her lungs at the same time that she let the fabric between her fingers go. A blush flamed across her face as she felt it slide against her skin and fall to the ground at her feet. She hoped the way her knees shook was not noticeable because his stare drank in every inch of her. The way he unabashedly razed her body with his eyes was the exact same way he had at that fateful party.

Slowly she walked over, unsure if her legs were going to be able to support her weight any longer. Once she was at the edge of the bed she quickly climbed up and slid into the comfort of his side. His arms instantly wrapped around her and pulled her tightly against him, as she rested her head on his shoulder and smiled into the pale skin there.

He started to play with the tip of a curl, twisting it in between his fingers before he absentmindedly teased. "I thought I had lost you to the mystic powers of the bath."

"Hmmm, while your shower does work wonders... I think you underestimate how much bravery that took." She had meant for it to come out teasing but it became more of an admission of anxiety.

Draco gave one of his real laughs and slipped his arm from underneath her. The movement caused her to roll onto her back and he quickly took advantage by sliding on top of her so he was straddling her hips, his chest pressed against her naked breasts. Giving her just enough room to breathe, he kissed along her jaw to her ear where he whispered. "My Little Gryffindor Kitten, showing true courage... Let's see how many times I can make you mewl tonight. Shall we?"

His words had her squirming underneath him as she tilted her head to the side for his questing lips.

 **-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-**

After he had been satisfied with how many times he had brought her to orgasm she laid in his arms under the blanket, her head on his chest again.

She wasn't sure if he had reached the imaginary goal in his head because she had lost count at four... Her brain had been unable to function correctly, not even able to think in words after that. It was all instinct and seeing stars and long moans passed between the two of them.

He started to play with one of her larger curls that had managed to escape being matted into a snarl. Seemingly, perfectly content to lay there, winding and unwinding it around a finger, as they both caught their breaths.

Hermione smiled softly against the soft skin on top of hard muscle, holding onto the feeling of fulfillment for a moment longer. It wasn't like she could lay with him like this whenever. Their already sporadic meetings would probably be affected even more by Harry's renewed energy into finding out what the boy under her was doing. She needed to enjoy every second because she didn't know when the next time they would both be able to sneak away.

She slid her hand from where it rested near his hip, up and over to fine line of hair that started below his belly button and traveled lower... She let her thumb stroke over a small patch of the stuff as she fought with her eyes to stay open. As a pathetic attempt to stay awake and keep her mind going she started to hum a song inaudibly.

He laid there underneath her and after a few moments he whispered sleepily into her hair. "You sing and hum when you are trying to distract yourself. What is going on in your head Kitten?"

"Do I?" She asked. More shocked that he had been able to notice the small vibrations in her throat than by the fact that he missed nothing.

"Yes. Usually during a test or something else you deem equally important. From what I've seen it helps you focus, though how your mind can keep up with the answers and beat is beyond me." He told her as he let the curl fall and his hand went to cup her shoulder.

"Oh."

"I've noticed that you like the muggle stuff more. At least I assume it's muggle since I don't recognize most it."

"It's just what I am used to, I guess." She replied as she tilted her head so she could stare up at the lines of his neck.

"That makes sense. Do you... Do you think you would want to share some of it with me sometime?" He asked waveringly, as if she was bound to reject the not so simple inquiry.

A playful tone crept into her voice as she asked him. "I don't know... What would I get for my Muggle Music tutoring services?"

"The pleasure of my company isn't enough?" He tucked his chin down so that he could look at her eyes, a soft smirk playing on his lips.

" _Hmmmm_... I will have to go through quite a bit of effort to get my Mum to send everything I would need. There is the radio, cds, batteries..." She trailed off and rolled her eyes as if the time and money spent wouldn't be worth the excuse to meet.

He thought for a moment before his smirk widen even further. "What about if I answer some of the questions you have about me? Would that be a fair trade?"

She stilled and stared up at him in confusion. She didn't understand what he was proposing...

"Oh come off it Granger. I see the way you stare at me when you think no one is watching. Like I am one of your books and you need to find the right counter-charm to lift the curse. This way you can study me at your leisure. There will be some things that are off limits, of course, but I think you will find it much easier for me to volunteer the information you seek... So what do you think?" He asked, his eyebrow raising at the question at the end.

By the end of his explanation her curiosity was already peaked. Her mind ran over the things she had randomly wanted to ask... Like... How did he get away with watching her as much as he claimed? Or what was his favorite breakfast at home? Why didn't he ever wear more relaxed clothing than the Hogwarts uniform? What was the starting point of his hatred towards Harry? And all of the deeper things she had found herself wondering over the last month... What had actually triggered his shift in thinking? How did it feel to watch all of the lies crumble around him? Where was he when he found out about his father was incarcerated? What did it feel like to have Voldemort invade his home? How did he cope with the crippling fear he must feel every single second of every single day?

He was offering her a chance to get answers to those questions and the millions more that would slip into her mind out of nowhere. She had to take it...

"That _does_ sound like a fair trade..." She jokingly hedged, trying to pick up the playful edge to the conversation from earlier.

"I'm glad you find the arrangement to your liking. So it's agreed. You will teach me all about muggle music. While I will teach you all about Draco Malfoy." He told her, the nonchalance he worked so hard for cracking slightly at the end.

She wrapped her arm back around his waist and curled herself against him, placing her head where it fit perfectly on his chest. "Mmmm... Agreed, and I can't complain too much. Though having to deal with the questions I am going to receive when a large box from my parents arrives by owl might get a tad bit annoying."

He chuckled groggily and she let her eyes close, knowing they both would be asleep soon. He ran light designs on the top of her shoulder as she relaxed even more.

Her last thought as she drifted off to sleep was about how she knew the perfect first song for his introduction...

 **-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-**

 _*Waggles Eyebrows* Sooo... What did y'all think?_

 _Please, please, PLEASE leave some of your favorite early to mid 90s music suggestions down below. Especially stuff that you think would be more up Draco's alley..._

 _As Always..._

 _Much Love,_  
 _SlytherclawLuv_


	32. Chapter Thirty-One

As she rushed off to the owlery the next day with the request for her mother in her hand, she thought over everything that had transpired that morning.

They had awoken in each others' arms after another nightmare free night for her. Instead of going down to the Great Hall for breakfast they decided to stay in bed, talking about the randomest things of no consequence, while gorging themselves on crystallized pineapple and a box of Pixie Puffs. Both from the stash of snacks he had hoarded in the side table next to the bed. She never would have guessed that he had such a sweet tooth... The sugar replaced the normal caffeine she craved and gave her a high that she was sure she would regret later.

After realizing just how late in the morning it had become they each taken a quick shower. Hers taking longer because of the time she had to devote to untangling her hair. He had leaned against the vanity, watching her and laughing as she cursed him under her breath. The promise to hex him into oblivion when she was done making a frequent appearance. She hadn't, of course, but in the moment it had helped vent her frustration.

Both had vacated the bathroom to get dressed with Draco heading over to the wardrobe and Hermione over to her bag. She had grabbed the pajamas she had brought and charmed them into something more appropriate for daytime wear. The matching shirt and flannel pants transformed into a pair of her go-to jeans and a thick maroon jumper. She had thrown the sweater over her head, figuring she could slip on a clean bra before lunch. The jeans became a problem when she went to pull them over her bum, she had been right the night before...

He had left bright pink welts on both butt cheeks and as soon as the scratchy denim slid across the burning skin she knew that she wouldn't be wearing anything tight for at least a couple of days. She had sighed at the inconvenience more than the pain and quickly magicked the pants into a skirt, which she promptly fastened and zipped.

Her mind had started to wander on exactly how she was going to be able to sit on the hard benches at lunch without giving her discomfort away. So it startled her when she had leaned back over the chair to grab her bag and all of a sudden felt his hands run along the outside of her thighs. She closed had her eyes as he worked his way up, flicking her skirt so that it rested on her lower back, and then cupped each one of her cheeks in a hand. He had ran his thumbs lightly over the raised flesh before leaning forward and whispering in her ear. "Do you have _any idea_ how absolutely fucking sexy you are with my handprints on your hot little ass? _Hmmmmm?_ "

She had let out a long moan in response. The sting of his hands against the marks he had put there sent sparks of immediate need throughout her body. There was no mistaking that she wanted him deep inside of her again, filling her and making her want to cry from how good she felt. She had thrust back against his hands, thanking every God she knew that she had the fore thought to pack a thong instead of any other kind of underwear.

"Are you going to answer me Kitten?" He had asked, sliding one of his hands down to her inner thigh, which he nudged to the side.

" _Yes!_ " She had gasped as her knees started to shake from the rush of endorphins caused by his touches.

"Yes, you know just how ravishing you are? Or yes, you are planning to answer?" He had prodded as he ran his fingers up to her panties, sliding along the fabric but barely pressing against her swollen sex.

"Both... Neither... I don't know. Gods!"

He had chuckled in her ear before he pulled completely away. The rush of cool air against her blistering hot skin had had her gasping. She had heard the teasing tone in his voice as she hid her face in the fabric of the chair, trying to stifle the whine that wanted to cross her lips at the loss of contact. "Places to be and all that Granger... We will have to finish this the next time."

She had quickly tilted her head so she could watch him walk across the room and leave, the click of the door sounding much louder than it actually was. It took a moment for her to realize how she was still indecently draped over the high back of the chair. She had quickly stood up and smoothed the skirt back into place before grabbing her bag and exiting on trembling legs.

A soft smirk crossed her lips as she came back to the present. _He really was evil._ Just not in the ways everyone, including himself, assumed...

Hermione stepped into the cold expansive outbuilding that served as a roosting facility for the abundance of owls that called the castle home for most of the year. She hurried over to one of the school owls and gave him some water in preparation for the long trip he was about to make. She doubled checked that everything was labeled and secured correctly to ensure delivery, a habit learned from her father and muggle post.

The note inside was simple enough. She was due for a letter home anyways so she given a brief explanation of her last couple of weeks back at school, asked after their well being and tagged her request at the end. She had told her mother as much of the truth as she dared and said that a friend was interested in hearing some good muggle music. Detailed instructions on how to attach the package to the bird after allowing him a rest and rehydration followed. A quick closing with her love rounded out what she hoped was enough information. Her mother tended to get nervous when she got too vague. It usually meant something bad was about to happen at the school.

When the owl gently nipped at her finger she attached the note and gave him a treat while lecturing the creature. "You owls are always so impatient. Thank you for not drawing blood though. Be nice to the woman who you are delivering this to... She doesn't deal with owls very often, alright?"

The huge eyes just blinked at her and she hoped he would listen. "Okay... Off you go then."

She stood there and watched the bird turn into a small dot on the horizon before turning and heading towards the Great Hall for lunch.

 **-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-**

A quick survey of the Gryffindor table led her to bee line for Ginny and Luna, who must have been visiting again from the Ravenclaw Table. She slid onto the bench, making sure to shift most of her weight onto her thighs, and gave them both a quick smile.

"Why hello there!" Ginny said as she smirked at her. The knowledge of where she had been, or at least what she had been doing, flashing mischievously in her eyes.

"Hi Luna! Hi Ginny!" She chirped. Another faltering smile appearing and then disappearing from her lips. "How was your nights?"

"Fine. Worked on Quidditch plays, like you saw, and then we all hung out. Yours?" The redhead challenged, her smirk deepening as she playfully teased her.

"Good, good... I went and took an overdue soak in the Prefects Bathroom. You know how I love that purple solution I told you about." She covered with a lie. Unwilling to talk about her "Mystery Guy" with Luna there.

"I had the most vivid dream! My father and I..." The blonde started in on an extremely detailed recount of her dream in which she and her father fought a dragon to save her mother's ghost. Leading to wild speculations on what The Universe was trying to tell her. Each idea becoming more outlandish than the last as far as Hermione was concerned.

She used the time to nibble at some food. She was still pretty full from the junk food earlier, but the solid fifteen minutes Luna provided, allowed for ample enough time to make it look like she ate more than she actually had. The longer she sat, the more she had to shift to keep her weight from falling back on her bottom. Each time that she managed to forget a deep burn ran up into her hips and the memories of exactly how she had gotten the marks fought with her focus on reality.

Both girls had noticed. Ginny would just shake her head or give her a knowing smile. While Luna's big wide eyes started to narrow in concern as her description went on, by the time she was done she was flat out eyeing her. Her barely there eyebrows had pulled together and her lips had disappeared in a thin line.

She knew whatever words came out of the girl's mouth next were going to be doozies and she wasn't disappointed...

"Did you happen to visit the Amazon rainforest over Christmas break Hermione?"

Her gaze flashed between Ginny and the other girl before she hedged. "No... Why?"

"Oh... Well I recently read about a bug that can be found there. They like to climb up a person's rectum and wreak all sorts of havoc. I was going to offer to help you to Madam Pomfrey, but seeing as you have not visited in the recent past you should be fine..." Luna explained dismissively.

Ginny spat the mouthful of juice she had just taken back into the glass. Her hand shook from the suppressed giggles she was trying to stifle as she quickly set the soiled glass down on the table so she wouldn't spill.

"Uhhhh... _What?_ " Hermione asked, unsure if she had heard her correctly.

Ginny's attempts at trying to be quiet failed and she started snickering at her brilliant response. The sudden outburst drew the attention of Harry, Ron, Lavender and Pavarti. All of whom were seated a few feet away. Each one turned and stared down at them, now eavesdropping on the conversation.

"Really, I do not understand what the big deal is... It would only be a simple exam. Especially when compared to the alternative of a non-bug free bum! And like I said... You should be fine." Luna said exasperated, her gaze shifting between the two girls she was talking with. The redhead was still struggling to contain her amusement with how their normal old lunchtime conversation had veered off into the realm of such unhinged chatter.

The small group down the table joined Ginny in openly laughing at the absurdity of the exchange. Even Harry had to pretend a coughing fit to cover up a guffaw.

Her cheeks flared a deep red as she managed to choke out. "I am sure that is true. I will have to remember that, ahhh... little tidbit, for if I ever do decide to go. I am just antsy... Lots of homework to get done. Speaking of which..."

"You do not have to leave. We most certainly can change the subject." Luna offered, finally realizing that her words had been twisted into a joke yet again.

"No,no. It's fine! Thank you for being worried about my... uhhh... health. I have a stack of translations for Ancient Ruins that I have been putting off..." She lied for the second time during the conversation before standing and giving the pair a quick wave.

She heard the shrieks of laughter coming from Brown and Patil as she walked away. Thankfully the sound was lost to the roar of other students quickly.

A realization struck her out of nowhere and almost caused her to stop in her tracks, her steps literally faltered for a second before she forged on ahead. Intent on spending the rest of her afternoon, laying across her bed on her stomach and checking all of her assignments for the coming week. Anything to keep her mind from the fact that...

Even if it wasn't from a heart attack in his bed... Or the knife to the heart when her friends finally learned of her betrayal...

Draco Malfoy was going to be the death of her...

 **-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-**

 _First off... A huge Thank You to ACupples for the song suggestion! You are awesome!_

 _The rest of you should keep leaving me song suggestions please and thank you! :)_

 _Hope everyone's day is going amazing!_

 _As Always..._

 _Much love,_  
 _SlytherclawLuv_


	33. Chapter Thirty-Two

Hermione tossed her school bag on the floor and watched as it skidded to a stop against her trunk. She had just gotten back to the common room from checking out a book that she hoped would help decipher a rune that she was having a particular hard time figuring out, when Lavender had started in on her about the conversation with Luna earlier.

"Did Pomfrey help you with your little problem Hermione?" The girl had asked with feigned concern.

She had just rolled her eyes and kept walking, trying her hardest not to let the chit get to her.

"That a no? Maybe we should petition McGonagall to have you removed from the dorm until you get it sorted..." A dirty blonde eyebrow had risen in challenge.

She had stopped instantly at the threat, her hands shaking at her side as she turned to face the witch, who was draped across the chair that she normally sat in. Puffed up like some cocky little peacock. The sneer she had used with Pansy settled onto her face as she responded slowly, making sure to pronounce each word clearly. "While you are at it you should let her know all of the secret spots you and Ron like to disappear to... I am certain she would be interested so she could set up extra patrols to catch a Prefect and his howler monkey in the act..."

The look of absolute confusion that had flitted across Lavender's face from her not backing down almost made her laugh, but the girl wasn't about to let her off now that she had new fuel to torment her with. She had tilted her head to the side before smirking. "You're just jealous."

A scoff had tore threw her lips at the thought. "Do not flatter yourself, Brown."

"We both know that it's true 'Mione." Her voice dripping with contempt as she turned her nickname into a jeer.

"Ron? You think I am jealous of you over _Ron?_ " Hermione had asked her incredulously.

"No... I _know_ you are. Why else would you still be pissy over us dating?" The girl had asked with a shrug of her shoulders.

She had shaken her head and taken a step closer so she could lower her voice so no one else would hear. "There is only one thing that we both know and that is... Every single time Ronald Weasley has you pressed up against a wall with his lips at your neck... It isn't you that he is imagining there with him. It isn't your name that he wants to be moaning into an ear. What you think is jealousy is really just pity for you both."

Hermione had watched as the blood slowly drained from the girl's face and she instantly felt guilty. Once again she had found herself in the predicament of wishing she could go back in time for a redo. She should have just walked away...

Red splotches had broken out across Lavender's cheeks as she kept her own voice barely above a whisper. "That is hilarious! You have done nothing but pine over my boyfriend for the last two years. He could have had you at any point, but he never made a move because he does not like you like that. Hell... He doesn't even like you at all anymore... So whatever grand delusions you have in your head are never going to happen. _Got it?!_ "

Out of the corner of her eye she had noticed Harry and Ron come down from their dorm room and start making their way over. She shook her head and sighed. "You can have him Lavender... The two of you deserve each other. I hope you have an amazing future filled with the childish games you both like to play."

"You are such a bitch Hermione. It's a wonder anyone can put up with your presence for more than five seconds..." Lavender had vehemently whispered in the short about of time it took for the two boys to approach.

They both had picked up on the thick tension surrounding the little chat. Harry's forehead had wrinkled with worry and he looked like he was about to pull Hermione away while Ron had stared at the ground, scuffing the toe of his shoe against the stone. Obviously trying to pretend that if he ignored that situation it would go away.

In that moment all of her anger had switched from the girl in the chair to the clueless boy standing a few feet away. She had stomped over to stand in front of him before she snapped her fingers in his face to get his attention. As soon as his eyes had flicked to hers she had started in. Using every ounce of her willpower to not yell. "If you would be so kind as to make sure to muzzle your feral shrew of a so-called girlfriend that would be wonderful. She has a big fucking mouth that is going to get you _both_ into a lot of trouble if she isn't careful."

"Are you threatenin' me?" Ron had asked, more shocked than angry.

"No... I am _warning_ you. That little bitch over there..." She had gestured behind her. "Is going to make an enemy of me very quickly if she cannot learn how to leave me alone. And while _she_ might not enough brain cells to realize how bad of an idea that is... I am hoping to have more luck with _you_. I don't want issues. Understood Won-Won?"

The look she had to of been giving him was enough for him to see that she wasn't playing around. "Yeah... I'll... I'll talk to her."

"Good." She had sighed heavily before turning to Harry, trying to give him a reassuring smile but was sure it was more of a grimace. "Have a good night. I am going to go to bed."

He had nodded, not saying anything as he watched her escape to the momentary safety of the stairwell and empty dorm.

As she stood there her hands still itched to go back down there and slap the audacity right out the broad, but she knew all that would do was cause another round of detentions. And while she had gotten off lightly the first time she could hardly imagine McGonagall being so understanding to physical violence a second time. Especially in such a short amount of time...

Another deep sigh left her lungs as she went over to the bag to make sure she hadn't broken anything in her outburst. Knowing her luck one of the unbreakable inkwells had fallen from their case and shattered, staining most of her school supplies... What she found instead was an even bigger surprise. A small round black tin sat in the pocket that held her quills. There was a tag tied to it with a ribbon the exact shade of deep emerald green that represented Slytherin House.

On instinct her eyes shifted around the empty room before settling back on the piece on parchment. She flipped it over. His neat scrawl was cramped to fit on the small space:

 _A little something to help the burn..._  
 _They should be gone in a couple days._  
 _Such a pity. You know how much I liked the look on you._  
 _How many times did you think of me today?_  
 _The snake in me hopes it was every time you sat down._  
 _-A Reluctantly Chivalrous Hero_

She quickly unscrewed the top and sniffed the thick white paste. The faint scents of aloe and pot marigold hit her nose. Definitely a healing concoction then... The thought pulled her up short. He either had this kind of stuff on hand, which should probably cause warning bells to toll but oddly didn't. Or... Or he had made it for her... The fact that he had cared enough to slip anything to her was... Shocking.

Hermione stood and walked over to the full length mirror. She ran a finger through the satin like mixture before flicking her skirt up over her bum. The cooling effect was instantaneous and she moaned. After a full day of the almost constant sting, that would shift into fire every time she forgot and actually put her full weight down when she sat, the sudden relief was a welcome change.

She couldn't find it in herself to regret allowing the spankings though... The fact that she carried the evidence of the time they spent together was weirdly erotic. She kind of understood why it had caused him to react the way he had...

The fact that she wasn't in the most private of settings registered and she blushed even though there was no one to see. She quickly went and changed into a pair of warm pajamas. After she climbed into bed she cast both a locking and muffling charm on the curtains that where supposed to ensure her privacy.

She had no reason to trust Lavender would listen to whatever Ron told her and she wasn't willing to risk the chance of retaliation...

 **-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-**

The next week dragged on for what felt like ages. It took longer than she expected for her to receive the package from her mother. When it had finally shown up she had been called into McGonagall's office to get it. Her heart had started to hammer as soon as she received the unclear summons, thinking Lavender had followed through on her threat to go and speak with their Head of House.

Then she had arrived and seen the giant box in the corner...

Her mother hadn't listened about sending the twenty different cds she had listed. Instead she had sent her whole collection, some newer releases and "a few that your Father and I thought your friend might enjoy". She thanked her lucky stars that she had thought to send weightless wrap paper or the poor owl she had sent might not have made it under the weight!

She'd had to make up an excuse for wanting to diversify her fellow Gryffindor's musical tastes during the end of the year party to convince the Professor that she had no plans to start hawking muggle cds at a discounted price. While in the moment she had scoffed at the idea but later realized that the woman had to deal with people like the Weasley twins her whole career. She had probably seen the ploy too many times to count.

It had taken a relatively short amount of time to then convince her that the muggle device wouldn't explode or cause any other type of damage due to the charms Mr. Weasley had taught her a few summers ago. Which wasn't a complete lie. He had even cast the charms himself, she just wasn't one-hundred percent sure that it wouldn't explode. She was confident enough everything would be fine considering it had already been tested by the numerous protection charms placed around her home after Voldemort's return. And there was the fact that she could always strength the charms as needed…

The next day Aunt Flo had visited right on time. While she had been grateful for the appearance it also meant that she had to push off their next visit. Just the thought of having a conversation about her cycle with any boy made her palms start sweating. Much less having to tell Draco they could not do anything because of it... If the feelings weren't so pathetic she might have laughed at herself. Send her a Death Eater who wanted to kill her- Her mind was able to focus with an edge that was as sharp as a tack! Even hint at telling the boy who had seen more of her body than even the Healers at Mungo's that she was on her period and she turned into anxiety ridden mess.

So she had made up excuse after excuse for nights when she should have been available.

As if he could sense her trepidation Draco had upped his affections. He would track her down in the Library and make sure to keep himself, and by extension the group around him, in her line of sight. He found ways to be able to pass her in the hallway or get her attention during class. And each time her eyes would find his, the stare that he would pierce her with left little to her imagination on exactly what he wanted to do the next time they were alone.

The little notes that she had grown accustomed to finding randomly seemed to appear every time she turned around. On a shelf in the library, by her feet at dinner, in her planner, on a chair in her one of her classes, balanced on window sill on her regular path for Prefect rounds. They were _everywhere_...

Some were a simple "Miss you." while others would verify everything that his searing looks said. In extreme detail... Too the point that the graphic words would have her blushing and quickly shoving the note deep into her bag where there was no chance of accidentally falling out.

Ginny had even noticed a few times and pulled her to the side to tease her. "Lover Boy must be just as smitten. Pretty soon he isn't going to be able to contain himself and he is going to pull a stunt like from that movie you made me watch..."

The girl was, of course, referencing the scene in "Say Anything" when John Cusack is trying to win over Ione Skye. The thought of Draco doing something even close to that had made her snort. "Doubt it, but it's good to know my influence is rubbing off."

Ginny had given her a look a like she didn't believe the bullcrap coming out her mouth before sauntering away.

If she was honest with herself she worried he would do something stupid. Not holding a muggle radio blaring a love ballad over his head outside or anything that extreme, but from the way he had been sounding she was concerned he would just show up around Gryffindor Tower again. Thankfully he hadn't. He just kept up his teasing with the notes and heavy stares.

When she had woken up that morning there had been a smile on her face from the get go. After being infernally patient it was finally the day she was going to learn a little more about her hero...

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 _Eek! Our girl is making enemies left and right..._

 _I am opening up song suggestions for any decade! I loved ACupples suggestion for a song Draco might like soooo much that I am saying screw it and gonna use it in a future chapter, lol. Since I'm already messing with J.K.R.'s history why not our own! ;)_

 _So please leave some suggestions for songs that you either think fit the story, one of the characters or their "style"! Along with helping me out with ideas, it also gives me a peak into if I am conveying Hermione and Draco right!_

 _Reviews are also ALWAYS welcome! I love hearing what you guys liked (or not!) in the chapter._

 _Anyways..._

 _Thank you all for being such amazing readers and coming back to check out how the story is progressing. I definitely did not think a month ago I would have 83 followers and 37 favorites! It is beyond humbling... Especially with how nervous I was putting it out there._

 _As Always!_

 _Much love,_  
 _SlytherclawLuv_

 _Usual Disclaimer (Because I haven't done one in awhile): J.K. Rowling is the sole owner and creator of the world and characters used within this fanfic. She is the Snickers while I am the Dollar Tree Knock Off version. I have never and will never receive any sort of compensation. Only follows, favorites and reviews._


	34. Chapter Thirty-Three

_Another two chapters for you guys! Ended up being way longer than I thought with the song lyrics so I had to split it up. Hopefully you don't mind too much. Enjoy!_

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She was feeling pretty proud of herself... The Undetectable Expansion Charm that she had cast on an old purse that Ginny had let her use had actually worked. Granted, it didn't seem to have any actual walls or any real substance... Everything she had jammed in there just seemed to be floating in some undefined space. But it had worked! It was a step in the right direction from the nothing she had been getting during practice.

A smile broke across her face as she turned the corner into the corridor that was fast becoming her favorite one in the whole castle, for no other reason than it had the doorway that led to her time with him. She rushed to the spot and paced three times as she whispered. "I need the door to Draco Malfoy's room. I need the door to Draco Malfoy's room. I need the door to Draco Malfoy's room."

As soon as it came into being she was there and slipping inside. The tense set of her shoulder instantly relaxing when the warm air engulfed her, and the irony at who's escape had also somehow morphed into hers was not lost on her.

Before she could even turn around he was there. Pressing her up against the wood of the door, he brushed some of her hair to the side just so he could place a chaste kiss to the side of her neck. It was so different from the crazed need that she had been expecting that she turned her head so she could search his gaze. There was a hesitation there that confused her.

For a moment she thought she had done something wrong but he quickly pressed his lips to hers. The same hesitation that was in his eyes was echoed there. Yet he didn't pull away either, allowing her to set the pace and intensity of the kiss... And it clicked, he must have realized how strong he had come across in some of the notes and how that could have come across to a girl with little experience. Hell, she had wondered why she didn't have those reactions herself! If anything his words had her looking forward to this meeting all the more…

While she was excited for the music and the subsequent Q and A, she knew that neither of them would be able to think of anything else unless they proceeded. So she deepened the kiss and was instantly rewarded with his enthusiasm, he slipped the purse from her fingers and she felt the jerk when he threw it behind him. Somewhere... Probably on the bed since she didn't hear it hit the ground.

Hermione didn't have long to ponder on it before he had her completely distracted. His lips worked against hers while his hands found her sides and slid the fabric of her shirt up enough that they could slip under. With his fingers splayed out against her skin he pulled her back so she was pressed to him. She felt his length push into the small of her back and moaned into the kiss. Her hand slipped up and cupped the back of his head before pulling him down to deepened the kiss even more.

His right hand pushed down to the waistband of her pants and started to play with the metal button that helped keep them securely on her body. His left stayed where he placed it, holding her tightly against him. The way his fingers were spread caused the tip of this thumb to rub on the underside of her breast and his pinkie to lay across the worst of the scar at her hip.

His lips left hers and found their way along her jaw to her ear, where they traveled down her to where her shirt stopped his decent and then back up again. When he finally got the button undone he worked her pants and underwear down off of her hips. First the right side and then the left until they sat pooled at her knees.

She felt him smirk into the skin at her neck as he brought the hand on her stomach down so both his hands settled on her hips. His thumbs pressed into her sides as he whispered in her ear. "Bend over."

Draco coaxed her into the exact position that he wanted. Her back was arched to raise her hips and her cheek rested on the cool wood grains of the door. She placed her palms against the smooth surface to give herself some traction so she wouldn't slip and closed her eyes. While she waited patiently his hands disappeared from her body and she heard the ruffling of his own clothing being pushed out of the way.

And then he was there, at her entrance, pressing into her...

It didn't take long for either of them. After they were finished he placed a quick kiss to her temple before pulling out and readjusting himself back into his pants. She stayed exactly how he left her, wanting to relish in the after orgasm haze, but his thick chuckle had her blushing. She reached down and tugged her own pants back into place before turning to face him.

"I, for one, feel _much_ better..." He joked, trying to keep a straight face which caused dimples to flash at the corners of his mouth.

She rolled her eyes and shook her head, instead of responding she headed in the direction of the loo. After she was cleaned up she came back out to him sitting patiently on the couch. Even though all that she could see was the back of him, it was apparent that he had taken the time to collect himself further. His hair was smoothed back into his signature style. His shirt sat properly on his perfectly postured shoulders.

She went over to the bed where he had thrown the purse, grabbed it, and then made her way over the unoccupied space on the couch. She made herself comfortable, leaning back before she brought her feet up and tucked them underneath her bum. A quick glance in his direction showed her that he was watching every move she made with a neutral expression. She wondered if he was as nervous as she suddenly was...

As soon as she gotten the box up to her dorm she had notified Draco of it's arrival along with her new hatched schemes to take over Hogwarts one cheap cd sale at a time. So he had to know what she expected of the night. The anxiety of what she could potentially ask had to of been eating away at him and instead of showing it he just shut down. She tried to remind herself to be thankful it wasn't the _Other_ Draco...

She could handle indifference.

"So what are the parameters?" Hermione asked as she played with the zipper under her fingers.

"What parameters?"

She turned her head so she could check that he wasn't making fun of her. "You know... How do you envision this going? Are we just going to listen to songs I picked out for awhile and then I get so many questions? Does each song I share equal one question? What exactly are the parameters? We should have things clearly outlined, to avoid as many potential problems as we can."

"Do we have to have a formal contract?" He asked with a roll of his eyes.

"No... Unless you'd feel more comfortable with one..." She said with a shrug of one shoulder.

His jaw clenched for a moment before the mask fell and a smile broke across his face. "I'm fine without anything _that_ official Granger."

She let out a trapped breath that she hadn't realized she was holding and gave him a half smile in return. "Are you sure? It would only take a couple minutes to draw it up."

"One-hundred percent. I am fine with whatever you think is fair. My only stipulation is that I get full veto power on any question. No questions asked." Seeing the understandable weariness that sprang across her features he rolled his eyes again before quick amending. "A power that I promise to use judiciously."

"I don't know how well I will do at the whole no questions asked thing, but I will try my hardest." She told him honestly.

"Would not expect anything less from you. I meant, more along the lines of, if I say I am not going to answer you will not go behind my back to get the answers you want." He stated. "And no running off to your stack of books in the Library thinking you will find something there... Just... Leave it alone if I tell you to. You'll have to trust me."

She scrunched up her nose at the various implications in his words but nodded. "Okay."

"Good. Then you can decide on the rest of it." He said sounding bored since his one condition was already met.

"Alright... Well... How about one song equals one question. We can listen to the song first and then I ask. From there you can wave your gavel and decide to answer or not. If you choose not to- I get to keep asking until you find one more to your liking." She outlined, making it up as she went along.

"Sounds good to me. I changed my mind, am I allowed to add something else?" He asked her.

"Of course..."

"I want you to tell me why you chose each song before we listen to it."

"Uhh... Okay." She wasn't sure that there would always be some deep meaning to a song that she picked, but considering how much he was opening himself up to her by offering this olive branch so she could learn about him, it was the least she could agree to.

As if he reached into her mind and read her thoughts he responded. "It doesn't have to be anything too in depth. A simple 'I just like this one.' would suffice. I have found that the music one chooses tells you a lot about a person. The same as the books on one's bookshelves I suppose..."

She nodded her understanding of what he was trying to say. "Got it. I can do that."

"Is there anything else you'd like to set down before we start?"

"No. We can always come back to this discussion if the need arises I guess." She said before standing and making her way over to the open space to the right of the fireplace. She sat on the floor, opened the purse and started to rummage around inside. The feeling of pride flaring up again as she watched the material stretch to accommodate the hefty bulk.

After she got the radio out, she set it to the side to reach back in and grab a package of batteries and the small binder that she had transferred the cds she wanted for the night into. A shiver ran up and down her spine from the holes she could feel his eyes burrowing into the back of her head but she didn't turn. Instead her hands went on auto pilot- opening the back of the battery package, counting out how many she needed, slipping them into the radio, replacing the back clip, setting it down gently and then placing the five cds into the tray- all without any intentional thought.

She started to nibble on her bottom lip, thankful that he couldn't see the fear that had worked its way into her stomach and she could feel plainly on her face. Suddenly the thought of actually following through and sharing these bits of each other seemed daunting. All of the excitement that she had built for the moment came crashing down around her and all she was left was nerves as she reached up and switched the single she had planned for first with the last. She watched her hand shake as she turned on the piece of "muggle magic" as Ginny liked to call anything electronic.

Hermione pressed the pause button before she steeled herself for any outcome. A deep breath entered and then exited her lungs before she looked over her shoulder at him and gave a flash of a smile. "This is a song that reminds me of those first few meetings between us and what I expected to happen..."

She bit down on her lip again as she reached over and started the song. Hoping he wouldn't get _too_ angry...


	35. Chapter Thirty-Four

With her eyes closed she let the old feelings of distrust towards the boy flow back over her as the lyrics chilled her more than she would have liked.

 _Why drink the water from my hand?_  
 _Contagious as you think I am._  
 _Just tilt my sun towards your domain._  
 _Your cup runneth over again._

 _Don't scream about, don't think aloud._  
 _Turn your head now, baby, just spit me out!_  
 _Don't worry about, don't speak of doubt._  
 _Turn your head now, baby, just spit me out!_

 _Why follow me to higher ground?_  
 _Lost as you swear I am._  
 _Don't throw away your basic needs,_  
 _Ambiance and vanity._

 _Don't scream about, don't think aloud._  
 _Turn your head now, baby, just spit me out!_  
 _Don't worry about, don't speak of doubt._  
 _Turn your head now, baby, just spit me out!_

 _December promise you gave unto me._  
 _December whispers of treachery._  
 _December clouds are now covering me._  
 _December songs no longer, I sing._

The song came to a close and she leaned forward, oddly thankful that she had a thing for owning singles of the songs she favored along with the albums. It made it easier that she didn't need to shuffle between ten plus songs. A quick jab to the pause button gave her a couple of seconds to prepare for his reaction. The instant silence in the room sent goosebumps over her skin as she cautiously peeked over her shoulder at him.

Draco sat there with his eyes closed, his fingers were pinched and ran along the fabric of his trousers as if by sheer force of will he could make the crisp creases usually sported there appear. He cleared his throat but didn't open his eyes as he asked. "What is your first question Kitten?"

She shifted herself so she was positioned between him and the radio, that way she could give either her attention. She risked another quick glance in his direction and saw that he hadn't moved. Without really thinking she blurted out the first thing that popped into her head. "Why pineapple?"

The confusion at her request with no context caused his eyes to pop open and finally find hers. "What?"

"Why do you like crystallized pineapple over all of the other kinds of fruit?" She clarified.

" _That_ is what you want your first question to be?" He asked her instead of answering. His face clearly showing his astonishment and skepticism.

"Would you rather I ask something harder?" Hermione countered teasingly.

His eyebrow rose at the challenge but he answered anyway. "They have the right amount of tang I suppose... Lemons are too sour. Oranges are too sweet and hurt my teeth. I dabble in other citruses from time to time but always find myself coming back to the pineapple."

"How do you still have all of your teeth?" She asked without thinking. She had been reared to shy away from too many sweets. Even now she still had to give her teeth a through cleaning the muggle way after gorging on taffy or anything sticky. A simple cleaning spell never really felt like it got everything...

He scoffed. "Wizard, remember? And does that technically count as two questions?"

"I guess so..." She hedged. She hadn't realized how closely she was going to have to watch herself.

He rolled his eyes and sighed. "Just giving you shit Granger..."

It was her turn to roll her eyes as she turned her attention back to the radio. "A song I gravitated towards over Christmas break..."

 _Well life has a funny way of sneaking up on you,_  
 _When you think everything's okay and everything's going right._  
 _And life has a funny way of helping you out when,_  
 _You think everything's gone wrong and everything blows up in your face._

 _A traffic jam when you're already late._  
 _A no-smoking sign on your cigarette break._  
 _It's like ten thousand spoons when all you need is a knife._  
 _It's meeting the man of my dreams._  
 _And then meeting his beautiful wife._  
 _And isn't it ironic. Don't you think?_

 _A little too ironic. And, yeah, I really do think._  
 _It's like rain on your wedding day._  
 _It's a free ride when you've already paid_  
 _It's the good advice that you just didn't take_  
 _Who would've thought? It figures._

 _Life has a funny way of sneaking up on you._  
 _Life has a funny, funny way of helping you out._  
 _Helping you out._

Before he could say anything about her next question she moved on. Figuring it was easier to give up the question than have him think he had leverage to wiggle out of one at a later date when she planned for them to get harder to answer.

"This one... This one I heard for the first time over break. It was on an advertisement for a new muggle cartoon. Something to do with an ogre saving a princess and a talking donkey. Anyways... It played in the background and for some reason when I heard the full version I thought of you."

She pressed play and brought her knees to her chest. A glance to her right as the instrumental melody drifted to her ears showed her that he had laid his head back against the back of the couch. That signature cocky smirk sat on his lips, as if he was proud that she had spent so much of her time thinking of him. She shook her head before placing her forehead against the tops of her knees and allowing herself to get lost in the music.

 _Maybe I have been here before._  
 _I know this room, I've walked this floor._  
 _I used to live alone before I knew you._  
 _I've seen your flag on the marble arch._  
 _Love is not a victory march._  
 _It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah._

 _Hallelujah, Hallelujah!_  
 _Hallelujah, Hallelujah!_

 _There was a time you let me know,_  
 _What's real and going on below._  
 _But now you never show it to me, do you?_  
 _And remember when I moved in you?_  
 _The holy dark was moving too._  
 _And every breath we drew was Hallelujah._

 _Hallelujah, Hallelujah!_  
 _Hallelujah, Hallelujah!_

 _Maybe there's a god above._  
 _And all I ever learned from love,_  
 _Was how to shoot at someone who outdrew you._  
 _And it's not a cry you can hear at night,_  
 _It's not somebody who's seen the light,_  
 _It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah._

When the track ended she ran over the different possibilities for her next question in her mind. She started to absentmindedly pick at the frayed bottom on one of the legs of her jeans, pulling at the loose strands of denim. She choose to go with another safe question instead of pushing her luck and picked up her head as she asked. "What is your favorite part of Hogwarts?"

It was his turn to lift his head to stare at her. "As in a physical place or?"

"Whichever." She said with a shrug.

"You..." Draco told her, his eyebrow raised when she scoffed at the answer.

" _Bullshit_."

He smirked but answered again. "Slytherin common room then. I can entertain myself for hours watching the aquatic ecological systems working together out the windows. Or this room, of course. It is nice to have a place that has complete privacy in a school where it's hard to come by."

Hermione had to double check that he wasn't just going with the easiest answer. He held her gaze and his smirk disappeared as he realized she was sizing him up. She believed him about the room but the Slytherin common room seemed like a cop out. It took a moment for her to decide to let it drop and explain the second to last song instead. "This is one of my favorite songs... It reminds me of how I felt starting here and eventually made friends and... A life, I guess."

 _He sprinkled me in pixie dust and told me to believe._  
 _Believe in him and believe in me._  
 _Together we will fly away in a cloud of green,_  
 _To your beautiful destiny._  
 _As we soared above the town that never loved me,_  
 _I realized I finally had a family._  
 _Soon enough we reached Neverland._  
 _Peacefully my feet hit the sand,_  
 _And ever since that day._

 _I am a lost boy from Neverland._  
 _Usually hanging out with Peter Pan._  
 _And when we're bored we play in the woods,_  
 _Always on the run from Captain Hook._  
 _Run, run, lost boy- they say to me,_  
 _Away from all of reality._

 _Neverland is home to lost boys like me,_  
 _And lost boys like me are free._  
 _Neverland is home to lost boys like me,_  
 _And lost boys like me are free._

 _Peter Pan, Tinker Bell, Wendy Darling._  
 _Even Captain Hook._  
 _You are my perfect story book._  
 _Neverland, I love you so,_  
 _You are now my home sweet home._  
 _Forever a lost boy at last._

As the song came to a close, she reached over and pressed pause quickly, stopping the radio from automatically starting on the next cd. It was the only actual album in her line-up and she didn't want the wrong song to start accidentally.

Draco spoke up from his spot on the couch. "You have a thing for muggle fairy tales, huh?"

"For the first eleven years of my life, they were the only place that magic was real..."

His stare held her still as he ruminated over what she had just said for a few seconds. "True..."

"So... Why did you really help me that night?" She asked, knowing there had to be more to it than he had told her before.

He sighed deeply as he leaned forward and placed his elbows on his knees. His gaze fell down to the ground as he gathered his thoughts. At the realization that this wasn't going to be a quick and easy answer from him. she shifted herself so that her arms were behind her and most of her weight was against her palms, and waited patiently.

After a long pause, he looked back up and shrugged. "I don't think it was any deeper than what I told you. I... I saw you standing there. So confused and it looked like you had been attacked honestly... The fear on your face... For a second... I thought I had..."

Hermione watched as his jaw clenched and he stopped talking. Once again his stare fled from hers to the ground before he continued. "I thought you had been hit with a hex or something equally improbable. I can distinctly remember standing there and fighting with myself. Once I realized we were not in danger of getting attacked by an insane escaped prisoner or troll or rouge teacher... I could hear my father in my head telling me _exactly_ what I should have done. But... I... I couldn't bring myself to even touch my wand. All that I wanted was to get you to someone who could help you. It's that simple, really. Being the selfish creature that I am... I wanted the chance to see your eyes light up one more time in anger at me. I couldn't imagine a tomorrow without seeing you blush at something the She-Weasel whispered in your ear over breakfast. _I didn't want your life to end in that room_. No matter the honor I would receive in ending it."

"And then?" She asked, barely above a whisper.

"And then what?" He snapped, as if that was obviously it.

"Well there has to be more to it than you just being a selfish asshole who didn't want to deal with the guilty conscience of hurting an already downed witch. Even one you had been crushing on." She explained. "I mean... You asked for a kiss."

"I had already broken every other rule. Why not that one? I thought that you would slap me and run along for help... But you didn't... Like the brave Gryffindor you are, you met my challenge head on. For some reason that I still cannot figure out you let me and my idiotic ass thought that would be the end of it. I had finally found out what it would be like and I could put the stupid little infatuation to bed." He sighed heavily before continuing. "Instead you became an obsession. I found myself wondering what you were doing at the most inopportune times. I would be sitting there listening to a lecture and your face would pop into my head. So I asked you to meet me, assuming you'd just ignore it and I could tell myself that I had tried. But again, you surprised me. You showed and you keep showing up. Something I cannot find the strength to ask you stop doing... Making me the same selfish creature from in that room. That is what it boils down to Kitten, I do not know what else you want me to say."

She sat there and worked over all of the different implications found in his words before answering. "Since I continue to show up and have even gone out of my way to set a few of our meetings, I must be just as selfish then..."

"I would like it put it on the record that _you_ said that. Not me." He joked and finally made eye contact with her again.

She smirked, enjoying the light moment before she leaned forward and skipped the first song on the album and pressed pause for the last time that night. "Ummm... This is the song that I think of every time your little stunt the other morning plays in my head."'

Her gaze flicked over to the chair where the scene had played out and a blush tinted her cheeks as she reached over and pushed play.

 _Hangin' round downtown by myself._  
 _And I had so much time,_  
 _To sit and think about myself._  
 _And then there she was._  
 _Like double cherry pie,_  
 _Yeah there she was,_  
 _Like disco superfly._

 _I smell sex and candy here._  
 _Who's that lounging in my chair?_  
 _Who's that casting devious stares in my direction?_  
 _Mama this surely is a dream._  
 _Mama this surely is a dream._

 _Hangin' 'round downtown by myself._  
 _And I've had too much caffeine._  
 _And I was thinkin' 'bout myself._  
 _And then there she was._  
 _In platform double suede,_  
 _Yeah there she was,_  
 _Like disco lemonade._

 _I smell sex and candy here._  
 _Who's that lounging in my chair?_  
 _Who's that casting devious stares in my direction?_  
 _Mama this surely is a dream._  
 _Mama this surely is a dream._

When the last note sounded she reached over and pressed the power button shutting the whole thing down unceremoniously. She replaced her arm so that all of her weight wasn't on the one hand and let her head roll back. The feeling of her hair falling off her shoulders and neck tickled, causing a soft smile to tug on her lips. Even though the silence in the room was deafening after the music and talking she didn't say anything. Letting the memories of being bent over the chair a few feet away continue to play across her eyelids.

"What's your question Kitten?" He asked gruffly.

His voice had cracked at the end and she couldn't stop her lips from slipping from the smile into a smirk as she turned her head, that way she could look at him for the first time since the start of the last song. "Why are you still all the way over there?..."

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 _Dun, dun, dun!_

 _Hopefully it was worth the wait for y'all._

 _Review! Review! Review, if you liked it!_

 _Still needing song suggestions so leave them down below please..._

 _As always..._

 _Much love,_  
 _SlytherclawLuv_

 _Song Credit Goes To:_  
 _December by Collective Soul_  
 _Ironic by Alanis Morrissette_  
 _Hallelujah by Rufus Wainwright_  
 _Lost Boys by Ruth B_  
 _Sex and Candy by Marcy Playground_

 _*Archive of Our Own has the lemony version. If you want the goodness you have to follow me over there. The "naughty" scene at the start of Chapter 33 has a couple extra paragraphs for you and the next update will have the "fall out" of Hermione's last song... ;)_


	36. Chapter Thirty-Five

Hermione woke up the next morning alone in his bed. She had surfaced enough from the veil of sleep to reach for him, thinking he had rolled away, but her hand only found empty air. A groan passed from her lips as she rolled onto her back and opened her eyes to survey her surroundings.

She was definitely alone. The bathroom door was cracked so there was no way he was hidden in there. She went to get up and a piece of parchment crinkled under her palm. She quickly picked it up and scanned the short note written in his elegant scrawl.

 _Good Morning Lost Girl,_  
 _I was needed elsewhere._  
 _Do not be angry that I didn't wake you._  
 _You looked much too peaceful to disturb._  
 _Help yourself to whatever you may need._  
 _-D_

As her eyes lingered on his initial she fought with a smile that wanted to spring to her lips. Instead she set the explanation down, back in the spot she found it and got out of the too comfortable bed. Every muscle in her upper legs and hips burned in protest at their use but she pushed through, figuring it would be much the same as the day after her first time. Uncomfortable but not anywhere near enough to stop her from doing her normal routine.

She wanted a hot shower…

Her gait was slow as she made her way over to the purse. Grateful that she thought to pack a change of clothes and her school bag. She would be able to leave and go directly down for breakfast before heading off to Ancient Runes. It sounded like a pretty good start to her day.

She pulled her uniform from the tricky concealment, along with a set of robes. A quick delve back in had her bag in her arms. She hadn't thought to bring any of her shower things but the scent of the lotion that she carried in there should help offset the strange smell that was bound to linger on her if she used Draco's hair products and soap. And maybe a spritz of her back-up perfume wouldn't hurt either…

After she grabbed everything she needed to get ready she stopped where she had set her school bag down and picked up the pocket watch she kept clasped to the shoulder strap by a short chain. It was an easy way to have the time anywhere she was in the castle. She flipped the compartment open, hoping she had enough time for a long soak under water, and stared at the face in disbelief. She even had to double check that she had read it correctly…

Shit!

 _Double Shit!_

All thoughts of a shower were abandoned as she quickly threw on the clothes in her arms and shoved the bottle of lotion and perfume haphazardly back into the bag. She wasn't just late! She had slept all the way through Ancient Ruins and break... Even if she used every shortcut she knew from the Map she was still going to be late for Defense Against the Dark Arts…

 **-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-**

On the whole way down to the classroom she chasitised herself for sleeping that late. She had ended up needing to make a stop in the bathroom after a couple of wandering Slytherin Third Years made some rather unflattering remarks about being unkept. A feeling of mortification ran through her when she looked at herself in the mirror. Her hair was in an absolute state of revolt and knew any attempts at soothing the beast would just make it look worse so she pulled the whole mess into a loose ponytail at the nape of her neck. The detour had just eaten up more time that she didn't have.

She ended up being fifteen minutes late when she finally stood at the door. If Snape had followed his standard regime he would well within his lecture for the day. She didn't know which was worse... Interrupting him or waiting until everyone had started reading the assigned text towards the end of the period... On the one hand, he was bound to be foul to her because of her audacity, while on the other, the consequences would be worse the longer that she took…

The thought of more detentions to add to her already strenuous schedule made the decision for her and she opened the old door as quietly as she could. She peeked her head in first and saw that Snape's back was to the class as he wrote a list on the chalkboard of what looked to be examples of horrendous things that could go wrong if too many people cast an Ebublio Jinx at a target at once.

She hurriedly stepped inside and closed the door behind her. The latch clicking as she let go of the knob seemed to echo in the room and every set of eyes turned in curiosity at the sound. She paused, waiting to see if she would be kicked out before making the effort to go to her seat.

"Ah... Yes. How wonderful of you to bless us with your presence this morning, Miss Granger." The Professor that hated her most sneered from the front of the classroom. "While we are all appreciative of the consideration of your time. I must ask... What is the reason that you would have the need to disrupt my class with your entrance?"

"I do not have an adequate explanation, sir. I got caught up with something in the Library. I apologize for the interruption." She said, hoping her voice was loud enough to reach him.

"Your apologies mean nothing when you show a blatant disrespect for others. Ten points from Gryffindor and you will see me after class to discuss your detention schedule."

She felt the blush of her humiliation creep into her cheeks but nodded. "Yes sir."

He turned back to the board as her dismissal and she let out the trapped breath from her lungs and quickly made way over to her normal spot. She could still feel all of the other student's gazes on her as she slipped into her seat and grabbed her books and parchment from her bag. Her hands shook as she set them out in front of her, trying her hardest to ignore the distinct feeling of trepidation that spread in her stomach before she started to copy the words written out on the black board.

Harry leaned over and whispered. "Ron and I spent all of break in the Library and we did not see you. Where were you?"

"Overslept." She mumbled out of the side of her mouth. Her eyes stayed trained ahead on the words she needed to get down before Snape moved on and they disappeared.

"But... Lavender said that your bed was empty when she came down..." He said his tone saturated with confusion. It wasn't like her to get caught in a lie with him.

"Honestly Harry! Can this conversation not wait? You are going to end up getting me into even worse trouble."

A quick glance in his direction confirmed that he had grudgingly gone back to listening to the lecture... Or at least pretending to. She spent most of the remaining class time only half there. The other half of her was intent on the task of figuring out a believable excuse to tell her friend that was good enough to pacify him.

When Snape finished a few minutes early she was surprised to find that he had lectured straight through. Offering them no time to get some of the extensive chapter list and three page essay he had handed out done. He instructed the rest of the students to head to their next class or go on break. She wasted time by gathering up her supplies and organizing them in her bag.

Once she couldn't put it off any longer she finally made her way over to the Professor who was bent over his desk doing his own organization. His shoulders were stooped in an uncharacteristic show of the fatigue and he showed no signs that he knew that she was there, but she knew it was just an act. Severus Snape was one of the most observant people she knew. A skill that had to be a major part in how he could pull of being a double agent for so long…

After a few minutes of awkwardly standing off to the side she cleared her throat and spoke up. "P... Professor?"

"I see that you do not enjoy your time being wasted either..." Snape snapped at her over his shoulder.

"No sir." Was her simple reply. She knew it would be faster to accept whatever consequences came her way than to try and gain any sympathy for her actions.

"Am I correct in assuming you will be able to show the _barest_ of courtesies and show up on time in the future?"

"Yes sir."

"Good. I would expect that there would be no issue with you being here promptly after breakfast on Sunday to serve your detention." He stated it as fact, not a question.

She gave a quick nod at his assessment.

He stood to his full height and turned to face her before continuing. "I would also expect that you would be able to clear your schedule for the rest of the day..."

"Of course Professor."

A dark eyebrow rose at her display of meekness and he scowled. "That is all, Miss Granger."

"Uh... Thank you for your time sir." She tried to offer but all it did was earn her a deeper scowl from the man. She hitched her bag higher on her shoulder and rushed from the room before he could dock Gryffindor more points because he had taken it as insolence. Or any other reason he could find…

All hope of making it to Arithmancy without a delay was instantly dashed when she closed the door behind her and Harry stepped up to her side. "Would you like some company on your walk?"

The fact that Ron was nowhere to be found meant he wanted to speak to her in privately. Usually they spent their free period working on homework together... She hesitated for a second before starting on her path and calling back to him. "If you don't mind rushing I wouldn't mind company."

"Okay..." He said as he tried to keep up with her erratic pace as she zig zagged around clusters of other students. "So... What is the damage?"

She gave an annoyed sigh. "Sunday, all day."

"That isn't that bad, considering..." Harry volunteered as he dodged around a group of giggling second year girls.

"I know. I am just angry with myself." She told him. "I should have known that something like this would happen."

"That sounds ominous." He said as he grabbed her elbow and stopped her at the corner that would lead to her next class.

"It's nothing. Really. Just been having a hard time sleeping with the pressure of... _Everything_. If I would have made myself do some relaxation exercises before bed, maybe this wouldn't have happened..." She gave as an explanation, trying to make herself comfortable with the fact that it was not quite an outright lie. Sleep was quite elusive most nights.

He shook his head before catching her eye with a worried gaze. "Pomfrey could help with that."

"I know... I... I don't like the way the sleeping potions make me feel." She offered another grain of truth. Her mind had felt fuzzy for hours after waking and she quit taking the ones prescribed to her the day she was released from Mungo's. "I usually just sneak off somewhere and do some light reading until it is an acceptable hour to be up, but I must have fallen asleep in the Astronomy Tower. It's actually quite cozy up there with a warming charm and blanket. Anyways... It will not be happening again. So there is nothing to worry about."

"Hermione..." He said in the tone that indicated he wasn't going to let it drop anytime soon and planned to bring it up again if he had to.

"Look... I promise I am okay. We all deal with stuff in our own ways right? Fred and George with humor. You and Ginny with Quidditch. Ron with snogging the suckerfish. I like to go find a quiet corner and read. This shouldn't come as a shock to you."

"Alright. Just go to Pomfrey if it gets worse." Harry said. The concern plainly evident on his face but not wanting to push her fully into an argument. "There is no need to be a hero..."

She couldn't stop the snort that came at his words. "Rich, considering..."

The blush that crept into his cheeks at her implication made her guilt flare as he mumbled. "Yeah, yeah. I will see you around."

It was her turn to be the one that reached out with a touch on the arm to stop him from leaving. "I'm sorry. That was rude. Thank you for checking in on me. I do appreciate it. See you at lunch?"

"Where else would I be when there is good food to be eaten?" He asked with a smile that told her that things had been easily smoothed over.

She turned and started to walk down the hall, laughing at his attempt at a joke. "True..."

Where else could he be indeed... Her mind outright refusing to think over the possibilities of the trouble he could get himself into by lunch…

 **-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-**

 _Just a few quick words…_

 _Guest- Thank you for the suggestions. A couple might have been added to my list!_

 _lovehermione- It makes me so happy to hear that you are enjoying! Hopefully the update was worth the wait!_

 _As Always…_

 _Much love,_  
 _SlytherclawLuv_

 _*As promised there is a longgg lemony scene over on AooO (like it could be its own chapter)! Check it out if you like that kind of stuff and let me know what you think..._


	37. Chapter Thirty-Six

When she entered the Great Hall her eyes automatically swung to the Slytherin table. She quickly ran over the different faces until she came upon the one she had been searching for... He was shaking his head at Crabbe and Goyle as they laughed raucously over something they found amusing. A smile tugged at the corner of her lips at his display of exasperation.

Caught up in her own little world she didn't register the hiss that came from behind her before it was too late. What felt like a wall hit her shoulder with enough force that she was certain she was going to have a bruise, accompanied by a condescending taunt. "Get out of the way _scum_."

She knew who it was before even turning... The voice of the girl that used to berate her right along with Draco in her nightmares. Now that she knew what true fear was and the jibes didn't hold much sway anymore. Instead death and pain were the forerunners that liked to play over and over. She rolled her eyes and moved so she was facing the owner. "Still the same old tired insults Parkinson."

"Do not think I have forgotten your little stunt the other day worm." Pansy said glaring at her as she halted her progression to join her friends.

"Ohh... Another zinger. Such a good one, implying just how dirty I am twice in a row! Keep em' coming! I'm sure one of them with stick eventually..."

The girl's eyes widen at the brazenness of her insult. "I cannot wait for the day that I can spit on your lifeless carcass. You inexcusable waste..."

"I would be very careful with the next words to come out of your mouth witch." Ginny's voice rang out. A well of gratitude swelled up inside her for the girl... Pansy was more likely to back down if she had reinforcements.

"Of Magic." The dark haired beauty sneered. Her old resemblance to wrinkly pug making an appearance as her face distorted in anger.

Ginny reached for her wand, hidden in her robes, but Hermione grabbed her wrist to stop her. A quick shake of her head was enough to get the red head's hand to reappear empty.

" _Really Pansy?_ Waste of Magic, worm, scum, a dirty vile Mudblood... It's all the same. Don't you get it? I _am_ all of those things. And. Proud. Of. It. So keep calling me exactly what I am like it is supposed to hurt me. As for the day you dance over my burning corpse... If it ever comes to pass... I hope you find the solace you seek because there is something deeply wrong with you. It is not normal to fantasize about the dead bodies of your classmates the way you do." She said defiantly. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Nott stand and start to make his way over to them while the rest of their group sat there, watching the proceedings with blatant curiosity. She quickly rushed out, wanting to be far away before he made it over. "Come on Ginny... She isn't worth the detentions. Besides... I'm sure she has much better things to do with her time than waste it talking to Blood Traitors and Mudbloods."

Both of the girls stood there in shock at her unexpected outburst. She gave a quick roll of her eyes and turned away, heading towards the Gryffindor table. It took a second but Ginny hurried after her and asked in hushed tones over her shoulder. "Where did the stellar badass come from?"

"Oh you know... Sick of hearing the same crap every single day... The least they could do is get creative with the insults every once and a while. You know?" She said as a light blush crept into her cheeks from the girl's encouragement.

"I like _this_ Hermione. You need to find more time with your Mystery Guy if he is going to bring out this side of you!" Her friend joked with her as they made their way down the aisle. An unusual pep in the redhead's step.

"Shhhh!" She hissed at the girl, sending a glare her way as she sat down a few feet from Harry, Ron and Neville. Who were all exchanging nervous glances, which meant they had seen the whole display take place. Wonderful…

Her suspicions were confirmed when Harry leaned forward and questioned. "What was that all about?"

"Parkinson being Parkinson." Was her curt reply before spooning a serving of shepherd's pie on to her plate.

"You okay?" He asked with genuine concern.

"She is more than okay. She rocked it! Told the witch how high her levels of psychosis run." Ginny cut in with a wink.

Hermione shrugged before taking a bite of the food in front of her, allowing the girl to regale them all with an over-exaggerated tale of her heroism. From the way she talked it up people would think she had given the other witch the tongue lashing of the century. Something she wasn't entirely sure she wanted... Pansy was already chomping at the bit to rip her throat out. This was bound to only stroke the wounded ego and cause her to lash out even harder the next time.

"Wow Hermione..." Neville mumbled in awe from the other side of the table.

She shrugged again, not wanting the admiration that was found in her friends' faces. She had once again let her anger get the better of her. If her words had been an intentional act maybe she would have felt differently but they had been rash and careless... "It was stupid. I shouldn't have let her get to me like that..."

"Are you kidding me right now? The _only_ thing that would have made that any better was if you hexed her!" Ginny argued with her.

She shook her head and took another bite, choosing to stay quiet as the group that surrounded her continued to gossip about the things that she or Ginny should have added.

By the time she was done eating all that she could do was sit there and concentrate on the daggers she could feel being cast in her direction. So it came as a surprise when Harry, Ron and Ginny all stood and headed out. She looked around confused for a moment before her gaze settled on Neville, who gave her a smile and slid down the short distance on the bench so he was sitting directly across from her.

"They went to go see if they could talk an extra Quidditch Practice out of McGonagall." He explained.

"Ohhh... Makes sense. Harry mentioned something about that last night at dinner." She replied, returning the boy's smile.

"Yeah... Hey, did you hear about..." An in depth description on how he and Madame Sprout were trying to figure out a better pesticide to keep Devil's Snare in check without added spells. She tried her hardest to stay engaged in the conversation but quickly found her mind wandering again. Neville noticed and cleared his throat. "Are you okay Hermione? You've seemed pretty distracted tonight..."

"Hmmmm? Uhh... I'm fine." She said non-committedly, the last thing she wanted to do was weigh down the boy with her worries of retaliation.

He looked at her as if he was unsure of how she would take what was on his mind. Eventually he must have came to the conclusion to say it anyways because he leaned forward. "You know you are not any of those nasty things they call you right?"

Her smile widened and she nodded. "Of course not. But if the confusion of me agreeing gets them to stop for a moment... It's worth it. We all know we are much more than the labels they put on us. Besides... I would rather be a Mudblood or Blood Traitor than a Blood Purist."

"Agreed." He said glaring over her shoulder at the table across the room. The concern and normal oafish look gone from his face. The courageous Gryffindor in him making a rare appearance. He echoed her earlier sentiment as he continued. "Just... _Be careful_ , okay? None of them are worth getting into trouble over."

Hermione leaned forward and patted the top of the hand he had resting on the table. Her lips turned up into a joking smile. "Don't worry. I am not going to cost Gryffindor any more points today."

"That... That isn't what I am worried about..." He hedged as his face screwed up with his distaste at her implication.

"Speaking off not losing more points... I really need to check in with Professor Babbiling to see if there is any way I can do extra translations instead of more detentions... Thank you for reminding me, Neville!" She told him as she stood and slung her bag back over her shoulder. "Oh and thank you for worrying about me. It is very sweet but I am good... See you later!"

"S..s..see you later." He got out, slipping back into the nervous stutter from his younger years as a blush spread into his face at her praise.

She gave him another fleeting smile before hurrying away. She really did have to check in with her Ancient Rune Professor. If she was honest with herself, having Sunday taken up by Snape, threw a huge wrench in how she had her assignments staggered. Now every free moment she could scrounge up would have to be dedicated to keeping herself on track for the next couple of weeks. Like she had told Neville, she was hoping for an added assignment because any other consequence would be spreading her painfully thin at this point…

 **-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-**

A dark shadow was cast against the table that her Arithmancy charts were scattered. She had given up on the complicated problem only moments before and leaned forward on her elbows to huff in frustration. Without even looking up she started to organize the mess in front of her. Figuring it was Pince to kick her out in time for curfew.

The unexpected sound of an unfamiliar male clearing their throat from above caused her freeze in mid-shuffle. She glanced from the pile of papers in her hands to the face of Theodore Nott. Her eyes widen and hastened her efforts to get her things in order. Even though he was like Zabini and usually showed indifference towards her, his appearance there after the spat earlier in the day couldn't bode well for her.

He leaned forward, slyly placing the palm of his hand on her closed copy of "Numerology and Grammatica". A calculated move, no doubt. He knew she would have to choose between staying and hearing whatever he had to say or leaving the book... Before she could cement her decision to just get a new copy he smirked down at her said. "I know what you are up to."

"Uhhh..." She brilliantly replied, unsure of what he was referencing. Her eyes scanned the stacks behind him to make sure this wasn't some kind of diversion for Pansy.

"I am not going to let you get away with it either..." The classic Slytherin smirk, that must be taught at some kind of Pureblood Primary School with the way they all had it perfected, slid from his face and turned into a menacing scowl.

She shook her head as her confusion deepened. "I have no clue what you are talking about Nott... Nor do I care to find out. I would like my book back though..."

"Ha. _Fucking_. Ha. Who knew we had a comedienne in our mists?" He rolled his dark blue eyes at her attempt at nonchalance.

A huffed sigh was her only response as she stared up at him. She refused to play a guessing game on whatever grand scheme his mind had come up with. So she waited…

After only a few moments under her unrelenting stare he leaned down close enough that she could feel the heat of breath on her skin and whispered in her ear. "I know your deepest darkest secret Granger..."

She instinctively pulled away from his proximity and locked gazes with him again. "We have already established that you think you know something. Can we get on with what exactly that is?"

The way his taunting demeanor instantly changed into one of seriousness made a chill run down her spine. He leaned in again, so close he barely had to whisper for her to hear his next words…

"Yes please! Let's get on with discussing how you are messing around with _Draco_..."

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 _Eeek!_

 _I know! But this was the only spot that made sense for a chapter break without it turning into a crazy long one... Plus you know I love your guys' input!_

 _How do you think Mister Theo is going to use said information? Do you think he knows everything?! You know the drill... Let me know down below!_

 _Hope you all are having an awesome day._

 _As Always…_

 _Much love,_  
 _SlytherclawLuv_


	38. Chapter Thirty-Seven

Hermione sat there in shock. She had expected some nefarious plan about getting back at Pansy to come from his mouth, not... _this_. Her mind tried to play catch up with the unanticipated turn. How had he found out? Who else had he told? Why had he decided to confront her?

He pulled back to make eye contact with her again, his tall frame made his shoulders hunch forward as he watched her face for involuntary giveaways. Slowly the gears in her head started spinning again and both her eyebrows rose up in mock surprise. "Wh... What are you talking about?"

"That's right. I know all about how you've gotten into his head. I also know that someone from your precious Dumbledore's Army put you up to it. And I am hear to tell you that your little plan is not going to work..." Nott said, his eyes narrowing further into a glare with each sentence.

She used her amusement at how off-base he was to add confidence into what would have been a nervous laugh. "Are both you and Parkinson certifiable? I do not have time to entertain your absurd stories tonight. Everyone knows that there is no love lost between Malfoy and I. Now give me back my book..."

"Oh come off it Granger. You are not the only one in this whole school who pays attention. Don't think for a second that you two not being able to be in the same room without eye fucking each other has gone completely unnoticed." Theodore said, keeping his voice down but pulling away enough that he was no longer invading her personal bubble.

"Honestly Nott... I think you have lost it. Should I run and get Pomfrey for you?" She asked with mock concern coloring her tone.

His jaw clenched in annoyance at her pitiful attempt at evasiveness. "I am not kidding. Either cut the shit or I am going to go to Snape with my concerns."

"Wh... Why should I care if you go to Snape with some made up bullshit? _Go right ahead_... I am positive both he and Malfoy will respond kindly when they find out the drivel that is spewing from your mouth." She challenged after getting her voice to work around the sudden lump that had lodged itself in her throat.

For the first time since his approach she saw a flicker of doubt navigate his features. The threat of what could happen if he ended up being wrong was enough for him to second guess himself. A small mercy on another day that was turning into an episode of "The Twilight Zone". He ground his teeth together for a moment before shaking his head. "I do not believe you..."

"Well then... Let's go. Right now. Would you like to stop and pick up your asshole friend first to save time? Or should we let Snape summon him?" Hermione questioned, hoping he wouldn't call her on the bluff. She did not look up at him as she put the unorganized pile of papers into her bag. The action giving her time to gather her chaotic thoughts again. There had to be some way out of the corner she had gotten herself in...

After she got everything but the book that was still under his palm inside, she stood up and faced him. Silently she gestured for him to hand it over and waited for his response.

He stood there and stared down at her. The fact that he was trying to decipher the way she had countered his move was written all over his face. She decided to offer him an easy out... "There is always the option of forgetting this ever happened too..."

Momentary relief was quickly replaced with a cocky grin when his eyes flickered behind her. "That will not be necessary."

Her heartbeat soared but she refused to look to find out what had changed his demeanor. "And why not?"

"Because my _proof_ has just arrived." He sneered.

There was a horrific moment that passed where she thought Draco had shown up despite her warnings of Harry watching him but the signs of another person's arrival never materialized. She didn't break her gaze from the boy until she noticed movement out of the corner of her eye.

Reluctantly she let her eyes flicker down to the small origami butterfly that landed near Theodore's hand. Of course he would send her a note right at that moment... In the most ostentatious hallmark Draco fashion that he could have picked. She let out a shaky breath as she closed her eyes, forcing the scream that fought to escape to stay in her throat.

"Would you still like to go to Snape? Or would you prefer to hear me out?" He asked condescendingly.

"It... It is almost curfew and I have rounds. I... I can't do this... Tonight." She answered before she opened her eyes and stared at his hand instead of his face. He still hadn't reached for the note that had unfolded itself into a normal looking piece of scrap parchment.

"Where is that bravado now? Hmmm? I think you can make the time. Especially if you want whatever is said in this to be kept _private_..." He said, finally moving from his claimed perch on the book to indicate the note with his finger. He slowly slid the paper to the edge of the table before pinching it between his thumb and forefinger.

She watched as what could be damning evidence disappeared into a pocket hidden in his robes. Slowly her eyes found their way up to his and she nodded. "Alright... Do you know about the secrets the broom closet in the Divination wing has to offer?"

The annoyed roll of his eyes was answer enough.

"I will be at the other end at midnight. That is the best that I can do. If there is anything that tonight has taught me... I need to keep up appearances better and I have responsibilities that need to be attended to. Unless, of course, you still want to involve Snape and Draco..."

"I do not think there will be a need for that. I am sure you will show off your superior intellect and listen to what I have to say." Nott told her. The confident cockiness that had disappeared when she had tried calling his bluff was back in the set of his shoulders.

She rolled her eyes but quickly reached over and grabbed her book before throwing it in with the rest of her things. She sent a glare in his direction as a way to confirm his irksome assumption and turned to stalked off. Her thoughts stayed focused on keeping her breaths moving in and out of her lungs. The last thing she needed was to give the boy any more indications to how badly he had her rattled.

He called out tauntingly as she fled. " _See you soon_..."

 **-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-**

As she slipped under the tapestry she tried to rearrange her features into a neutral expression, but the muscles in her face refused to turn from the scowl of contempt for the boy she had to meet.

Most of her time on patrol was spent arguing with herself about if she should clue Draco in. Ultimately her curiosity on why Theodore had chosen to come to her before anyone else drove her to keep silent. The same consequences were on the line with or without any answers... And she had a miniscule chance of getting him to agree that hurting Draco in the process of... Whatever he wanted would be a bad choice. So she had decided to go it alone.

As soon as she was confident that the fabric had fallen snuggly back into place she cast Lumos and the tall profile of Nott was illuminated. She raised an eyebrow as she took in his relaxed stance. He leaned against the wall in a poor replication of how Draco lounged about. Once again the errant thought of some kind of lessons having to be how the Slytherin boys perfected their confidence ran through her head.

His eyes ran up and down her body and the feeling of being contaminated slid over her skin. Her hand actually trembled as she lowered it to her side but oddly her voice stayed steady. "Say whatever it is that you want to say."

"Cut right to the chase why don't you?" He jibed teasingly.

"I do not enjoy the games you seem to like to play. I would much rather get this over with..." She told him honestly.

"You are not a very good double agent if you don't fancy a game or two. "

"Probably because I am not..."

"Fucking hell... You cannot expect me to believe that you, _Hermione Granger_ , would willingly even speak to Draco civilly without there being some kind of ulterior motive. Not after your history..." He interrupted while raking her with another head to toe appraisal. "The only reason that I can even entertain as a probability is you are doing it for your little ragtag group of misfits. It's no secret that you have no issues delving into some very morally offensive territory for them."

"Well you just have it all figured out don't you."

"No. I don't have everything figured out. Hence why I am here, but I do plan to stop you."

"Stop me from what exactly?" She asked, unable to keep the smirk of amusement from her lips.

"This is not funny bitch. The game you are playing is a matter of life and death for many more people than you can possibly imagine. Tell me what you did to him so that I can reverse it. Are you slipping him Amortentia? Is he Imperiused? Out with it..." He glared over at her as his voice dropped in volume with the rise of his anger.

"I don't know what to say... You wouldn't believe the truth. _I_ barely do..." She whispered before biting down on her bottom lip to keep herself from saying anything more. The way his glower held her made goosebumps break out across her arms. His reminder of what was at stake did not help either.

Theodore moved so that he towered over her. "That is it? That is all you are going to give me? Forgive me if I call bullshit... You cannot honestly expect me to believe the suggestion that _Draco Malfoy_ would ever freely lower himself to fraternize with the likes of rubbish."

"I told you that you wouldn't believe me and yes as unbelievable as it is... We are both consenting participants in... Whatever messed up thing there is going on between us. The fact that you would even think that I would engage in what would be, at the very least, sexual assault is insulting. I know I am dirt but that is just.. _Repulsive_." She hissed from between her teeth. Struggling to control her own anger by the end of her short rant.

He had the audacity to actually look sheepish before he shook his head and the hard look was back. "The accusation isn't anymore insulting than the hits you are trying to deliver to my intelligence Granger. Tell me the truth."

"I am! Go and ask your friend! I don't understand why you would even come to me instead of him!"

"Good Gods Girl! I am not _that_ stupid! I do not have a death wish..."

They both stood there in silence as the implications of his thoughtless words sunk in.

She glared at him for a moment before extinguishing her wand. Her anger had slipped into out right rage and she didn't trust herself to keep in control of her magic. She turned to leave but stopped and looked in his direction, barely able to make out his shape in the darkness. "If you never intended to go to Snape or Draco why go through the lengths to try and get answers from me?"

"I needed to know you weren't fucking around with him. He can be a sadistic bastard sometimes but he doesn't deserve to be played like that. Especially now..."

"I know that..." She said, narrowing her eyes into another glare. Wanting so badly to be able to slap him for the defamatory remarks against her character.

"Good... And just so we are clear. If you do hurt him... Or I find out you lied to me here tonight... _I will Avada you myself._ " Theodore threatened before stepped up to her back and slipping Draco's note into her hand.

Hermione instantly clasped it in her fist and let out a relieved sigh. "Did you read it?"

"Of course I did..." He pulled away from her and started down the corridor.

"You are an overconfident loathsome asshole..." She spit after him.

"Born and raised baby _._ " His voice rang out from the darkness followed by a hollow chuckle and mumbled affirmation. "Born and raised..."

A shiver nailed her to the spot as she listened to his footsteps retreat. Her mind wanted to her rebel against the sudden feeling of pity that sprang up in her stomach for the boy...


	39. Chapter Thirty-Eight

Every muscle in her body started to shake as she stood in the corridor and stared into the darkness after the boy. She could not get her body to obey her commands to move and instead sank to her knees. The panic attack that had been trailing her since Theodore's first materialization threatened to consume her. Even though she logically knew she should feel relief, the only emotion that would surface was the despair she had shoved down far enough to function earlier.

A scream tore out of her lungs and was quickly muffled into the crook of her elbow. Pictures of all of the people she had thought she was about to lose swam before her eyelids.

Harry... Ginny... Tonks... Neville... Luna... Ron... Fred... George... Her Parents... Mr. and Mrs. Weasley... Lupin...

 _Draco..._

She pressed her face even tighter into her flesh and sobbed as she realized just how important he had become to her to be added to the involuntary list. The severity of how deep her betrayal ran lashed at her, making it hard for her to breathe. There was no coming back from her choices now. She had known the cost in the abstract, that first night and every night after, but now that the reality had been dangled in front of her...

The crushing fear immobilized her. Hermione had no clue how long she sat there and fell apart but eventually the stinging pain in her legs registered. She slowly got to her feet and wiped the evidence of her break down from her face with her free hand. Draco's note was still tightly clenched in the other.

She made her way to Gryffindor Tower and up to her dorm. Thankful for the empty feeling that proceeded after what she had just experienced. Usually it helped her be able to think in peace and try to figure out a solution to whatever triggered an attack, but all that she wanted to do was curl up in bed and pretend her life wasn't hers any longer.

Once she was positioned at the foot of her bed she had to physically pry her fingers from her palm so she could set the paper down. As quietly as she could she changed into a pair of pajamas and climbed into bed before drawing the curtains and casting her new nightly ritual of protection charms around herself. Her paranoia about the girl who slept a few feet away still hadn't abated and she wasn't willing to wake up one morning with no hair on her head...

Hermione sat cross-legged and stared down at what looked like a crinkled piece of trash. It was situated exactly where she had left it, not shifting when she had jostled the blanket. She debated with herself on just setting the thing of fire. That would be the smartest choice. Put an end to their dalliances and avoid him. There was also a safety in that path... For her _and_ for him.

She would be able to go back to the way things should have turned out. If she had never made the choice to go to the party... As she sat there the future that she had wanted for years played out in front of her. Winning the war... Inevitably ending up with Ron... Getting married... Their own little brood of kids running around under foot... Growing old with everyone she cared about by her side... All of it had been in her grasp. It still could be if she could find the strength in herself to be content. Content in her friendships and assuredness of that future.

In comparison the dubious and unlikely future with Draco was filled with questions. A millions questions that all hung on a thousand "What ifs". What if their choice somehow meant losing the war? What if it didn't? What if once it was all over he ended up not wanting to be with her? What if he did? What if they were not strong enough to handle the fallout? What if they both lost everyone? What if they came to blame the other for the end result of their lives? What if no one was there when she was old? What if she could never rebuild the relationships that would undoubtedly be broken?

She had known what choice she needed to make before she had even asked for that first electric kiss. Even laying there, after the day that she'd just had, the want to be in his arms had altered into it's own unyielding need. And the fact that he had shown up on her roster of reverenced individuals said a lot more than her coherent thoughts ever could. She valued the role he played in her life more than she had been willing to admit...

Her hand moved forward to pick up his note before she had made the cognitive decision to do so. She could not destroy the words that she gone through such a roller coaster to get. After fully committing to the act she snatched it up and opened it. The paper was so wrinkled that she had to pull the paper tight to be able to see the words.

 _Sleeping Beauty-_  
 _Looks like I made a mistake. Hopefully you do not hold it against me..._  
 _I was hoping, as cliché as it is, that you would be able to meet me Friday night?_  
 _-One Hell of a Prince Charming_

A confused grimace crossed her face as she tried to figure out why meeting on a Friday night would be considered cliché... And then the date smacked her in the face. No wonder why Ronald had wiggled another shift change with her earlier in the week! She had never put stock on the day as anything more than another mundane weekday... So it wasn't surprising that she hadn't remembered that Valentine's Day was in two days!

Draco Malfoy wanted to spend Valentine's Day with her. Draco Malfoy wanted to spend Valentine's Day with her. Draco Malfoy wanted to spend Valentine's Day with _her_.

She got caught up on the thought. No one had ever asked to spend the day with her, other than in a completely platonic way. An attempt to keep each other's thoughts from the fact that they did not have someone to celebrate with. This was, yet again, new territory for her but that didn't stop a spark of giddiness from settling into her stomach, which was closely followed by an inner chastisement.

He had been right... At least partly, they both were unnaturally and stupidly selfish creatures. Their own wants had come before anything else. Far reaching consequences be damned, but she couldn't continue to make that choice. Especially not if she truly cared what happened to the boy...

It was much too dangerous for him to have memories of her in his head when he went home. He would be tortured for any information and then killed. There would be no trial. No hope of salvation. Just horror and the ultimate price paid. One that he was apparently willing to pay but she was not.

With a flick of her wand the small piece of parchment went up in smoke, leaving an acrid smell that tickled her nose behind. The plan that had begun to take shape in her head was faulty at best, but hopefully with some fine tuning and a lot of luck it would work. Of course, if she failed, she would probably be expelled... Which was a certain death sentence with no magic to defend herself, unless she was allowed to stay on like Hagrid. Dumbledore had forgiven much worse acts before. And even if he didn't there was comfort in the fact that someone would be forced to Obliviate her. She knew far too much to just let wander around...

She laid back in her bed and hoped in vain for sleep to find her quickly.

 **-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-**

It had felt like hours before she finally settled her mind enough to shift from reality into a dream. She knew that she had to be dreaming because she was back in a corridor in The Department of Mysteries. The evidence of a battle that must have just taken place was everywhere she looked.

Her gaze centered on a large chunk of wall that had been blasted away by some curse. The tendrils of black that fanned out from the impact point was oddly beautiful. In that weird way destruction always was. Maybe it wasn't the physical aftermath that was appealing to her but the promise of repair. Everything could be mended if given enough time. Even the crater in front of her could be fixed with an incantation and wave from a wand. Such a simple and easy fix...

She reached down to the pocket at her hip to grab her wand and do the job, but her hand touched empty fabric. As if on cue her ears picked up on the sounds of boots crunching glass underfoot. Not one or two sets, but dozens. When she looked over her shoulder she saw that a crowd had gathered around her while she had been distracted and was continuing to grow larger.

The verdict that she was being cornered came much to late for her to do anything about it. She pressed her back against the wall and let her eyes run over the faces in the crowd. Every single person that she knew was there and each face was contorted with rage. Her heartbeat started to hammer under her breast, making it hard for her to think rationally and remember that it wasn't real.

Slowly her inspection brought her to the faces she dreaded most. The absolute hatred that seethed from her three best friends caused her to stumble forward towards them. "Please... I don't..."

"Shut your awful mouth traitor. No one cares what _you_ have to say." Ginny sneered.

"No one cares about you _period_." Ron emphasized, his whole body shaking as if he had to restrain himself from attacking her.

Harry didn't say anything at all, he didn't have to. The look of betrayal and hurt was enough to suck any air that she had left from her lungs. His top lip lifted up into a vicious smirk as he turned his attention away from her. Each body turned to the side, some even stepped back, making an aisle for three bodies to descend down.

Her hand instinctively went to her hip, floundering when it grasped empty air again. The shock of being left defenseless as the Death Eaters advanced towards her had her reaching for Harry's shoulder. If she only had the chance to explain…

" _Flipendo!_ " She heard screeched in a female's voice before her world was turned on it's side and she landed in a crumpled heap near the wall.

For a moment she contemplated getting up. What was the point in fighting and denying anything? But she was not a coward, so she forced herself to stand and face the hate filled mob. Her eyes zeroed in on the people who stood before her. She recognized two of the masks from the last time she had been here. The other was unfamiliar but just as distinctive, the only ornamentation that set them apart. Otherwise the black billowing robes covered their clothing, giving them a uniformed look of patient death.

She guessed that the shorter form with new mask had to of been the caster of the knockback jinx. If Hermione's deductions on the owners of the masks proved correct the woman's partners would be male. Men who should still be locked up in Azkaban...

"She is feisty one... This should be fun." The female said, the hint of amusement in her tone was undeniable.

The taller of the two men, the one farthest to her left, let out a chuckle. "I do love it when they try to fight!"

"Do you two _ever_ shut up?" Drawled the man in the middle. The voice caused her to gasp loudly as who was actually underneath hit her like another Flipendo.

"Oh goody, I think the jig is up. No reason to keep these on." The female said as she reached up and pulled the mask from her face, slipping it into the folds of her robes. Her two companions followed suit.

She had to bite down hard on her bottom lip to keep the scream inside of her as she stared into the face of; Pansy, Theodore and Draco. All three had almost identical smirks plastered on their faces in response to her reaction.

Pansy tilted her head to the side and coyly looked over at Draco out of the corner of her eye. "Awww... How sweet! The little twit thought you had actually changed. _So cute_."

She finally let her eyes settle on the boy and she instantly had to close them. It sure as hell wasn't her Draco that stood there. It was the same boy who had taken a sick gleeful pleasure in calling her a Mudblood for the first time. The one who had flushed with pride at how it broken her. She couldn't watch as the same masochistic gratification emanated from him.

"More pathetic than anything..." She heard Nott pipe up.

"So true Theo. So true!" Pansy said, the nonchalance in her voice suggested that they were contemplating a dried up worm on the sidewalk instead of a human being.

"That is _enough_." Malfoy snapped in a lower voice before continuing on much louder. As if he was speaking to the crowd instead of his to his escorts. "Since Miss Granger thinks our insults are tired and boring. We thought it might be fun for you all to tell her what you truly think of her..."

She shrank back against the wall as her senses were bombarded with the thunderous shouts from the crowd. It was hard for her brain to pick out individual words in the onslaught of insults. The tsunami of aggressive tension that swirled around her caused her to clasp her hands over her ears. A desperate and useless attempt to defend herself.

Eventually she couldn't handle it anymore and screamed at the top of her lungs. " _Make it stop!_ "

Just as quickly as the assault started it vanished, leaving her ears ringing in the eerie silence. She uncupped her ears and slowly peeled herself from the spot she had cowered against the wall. When she was fully standing she opened her eyes and glanced in the direction of the trio.

"Is that what you really want? For all this to stop?" Draco asked her, his eyebrow raised in surprise.

"Y...y...yes?" She hesitated. Her abject terror making her thought process sluggish... And it was the truth, she wanted to wake up from this nightmare. It had to be a nightmare... None of this made sense, but the way her heartbeat frantically and the air kept scrapping in and out of her lungs, told her it had to be real…

"Alright." He said. The light of amusement was extinguished in his eyes and he turned to Nott. "You can do it. I refuse to waste the effort and magic on such filth."

She groaned as his words cut her deeper than any of the fragmented pieces that a broken through earlier. Slowly the intent of his words dawned on her and she rushed out. "Please... I..."

"I told you what would happen bitch." Theodore sneered down at her before he aimed his wand right at her face.

She raised her hand in a placating gesture in front of her. "You don't have to do this."

"Oh but I _want_ to." He told her, the smirk on his face transforming into a vicious glare as his wand tip started to glow.

She didn't hear the words as a scream tore from her mouth. There was a flash of blinding green light and she woke in her bed. Alive and shivering.

As she panted against the fresh feeling of terror that rose in the pit of her stomach she had only one thought:

Her mind was even more horrible than reality... But there was no way to escape either.


	40. Chapter Thirty-Nine

Her plan had been foolish and fueled by a frenzied desperation. As soon as she had gone over it the next morning all of the flaws started showing themselves. There was no way she could tamper with Draco's memories and erase what had happened between them... No matter how tempting it was.

Alternatively she decided the best course of action was to ignore any attempts at communication. She didn't respond to the teasing note that arrived by owl the next morning at breakfast, inquiring on why she had not written back the night before. Or the one that had suddenly appeared in her bag when she went to put away her Potions essay. Afraid that if she read the words she would cave.

Over the next few days she continued to find more hastily scribbled messages. Each one joined the unread congregation at the bottom of her bag. The itch to open them growing as the pile did, but she wouldn't allow it. Every time her resolve began to crumble she would remind herself of why she had to sever any ties to the boy now... Before it became impossible to do so.

Most of her time was spent purposefully trying not to think about him. She would do everything in her power to stop her eyes from scanning the crowd whenever she was out of the Gryffindor Tower. There was a tense set to her shoulders at meal times as she fought with herself to keep her eyes forward and not to glance over her shoulder for a quick peak. She kept her breaktimes to the common room, foregoing the Library, and tried to concentrate on her heavy work load of assignments.

Granted it was an extremely difficult task as her nightmare became her new obsession. Each time she had tried to close her eyes and fall asleep it would reappear. Always in a different setting but the end result was the same... Everyone hated her and stood back and allowed her demise. A relief she would rush towards after the screams of derogatory abhorrence that would just escalate in volume until she finally begged for the deliverers of death to complete their job.

She could not figure out why it kept plaguing her even though she had made the choice to end things with Draco. The guilt should have abated and allowed her some sleep, but it didn't. If anything it seemed to intensify her shame. The added matter of sleep deprivation from her broken sleep pattern did nothing to help her obsessive thoughts.

So when she stood in front of the mirror after her shower on Friday morning she was not surprised to find her herself in a state. The dark circles under her eyes made it look as if she hadn't slept in weeks instead of the handful of nights it had actually been. This wasn't surprising considering the way her body would instinctively react to the stimuli in the dream. Each time she was jolted awake it would feel like she had just run a marathon. There was a deep scratch that marked from her shoulder to elbow- self inflicted from a distraught act of trying to fight invisible foes sometime during the night.

Mechanically she went on auto-pilot in an attempt to right herself into a presentable resemblance of a human being. Her mind pondered if she was well on the road to finally cracking. Going to Pomfrey like Harry had suggested was becoming a more distinct possibility by the night... She wasn't going to hold up much longer under the mixture of academic and personal stress without sleep. And she couldn't afford a breakdown...

The sting of her finger applying the healing lotion he had given her to the scratch on her arm brought her back to her somber reality. She slowly registered that she was dressed in her uniform and her hair was done in a twisted half up-do. The attempt of foundation and concealer on her face did little to hide how ragged she looked but there wasn't much more she could do about that. She finished with the quick first aid, pulled down the dress shirt and buttoned it at her wrist. Finding herself grateful that the unintentional mark hadn't been left in a more exposed place... Like her face.

She replaced the top to the container and bit down on her bottom lip, concentrating on the pain to keep herself from thinking of why she even had it. Her thumb ran over the smooth surface once before she shoved it deep into the bag with the rest of her self maintenance tools.

With one last look in the mirror she turned and left the Prefect's bathroom. Intent on finding it in herself to be satisfied in the choice that she'd been forced to make. For both their sakes... For her friendships... For so many reasons... And if she couldn't do that, to at least be hopeful for the day when she would be able to regain her old contentedness with the required path.

 **-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-**

Hermione wasn't sure how long she had been sitting in her favorite little nook in the common room. She had come there to work on her extra essay for Ancient Runes but found herself thinking of how she should be thankful that Draco had not sent her a single message all day. Even though it would have ended up unopened, just like the others, it was kind of disconcerting that he had given up. She wanted to feel a rush of gratitude at how easy it had been but it wouldn't come, instead a heavy compliance had settled in her stomach.

Her thoughts were far away and it took a minute for her to establish that someone had joined her at the small table. She looked over into the eyes of Lavender Brown. The girl leaned back in the chair she now occupied and gave a fake smile. "How are you tonight Hermione?"

She sat there and eyed the intruder, who was all done up for her date with Ron in a couple of hours, and tried to keep her expression completely neutral. Neither one of them had so much as glanced in the other's direction since their last confrontation. Maybe she had come to apologize... "Fine. And yourself?"

"I am just peachy. Thank you for asking." Lavender answered, her lips twitching from the strain to keep her grin in place.

"Mmhmm." She hummed before turning back to the book in front of her.

The hope that the other girl would take her hint and leave was promptly squashed. She relaxed against the soft cushions in the chair and surveyed the common room. Her nails made a clacking sounds as she strummed against the wood of the table as if waiting for something.

It only took a few moments of the incessant sound for Hermione to set her quill down and look back over. "Is there something you needed Lavender? I am quite busy..."

"Does my sitting here _bother_ you?" The witch asked her. The way her head tilted to the side in what seemed like confusion, bore a striking likeness to one of those muggle pictures of labradors they used for calendars.

Instantly her defenses rose at the obvious act of innocence and she decided to be blunt with her. "Yes. There are hundreds of other places you could go to... Do whatever it is that you are doing. Why not go find one?"

"Because Ronald thinks that it would be best if we figured out a way to be civil with one another." She told her as she shrugged off the phoniness, a smirk crossing her glossed lips. "And now I get to go and tell him that I tried and you told me to bugger off."

" _Goody gumdrops!_ Please do run along and whine in his ear. I am positive all of your nagging will endear him to you even more." Hermione said rolling her eyes at the threat.

"If you knew anything about what he liked we wouldn't be sitting here having this conversation. You would be in my spot instead of being the pining second rate ex-friend."

"True, but I am not wasting my life on 'I should have's. Was that all? Or did you have more to say?" She asked as she started to organize her sheets of parchment and books, readying herself to leave.

Lavender's smirk widen and she shook her head. "Are you going to run away to the Library? Cry into your books about how the world is so unfair to Poor Hermione Granger?"

"No... Actually I am not going to the Library. Nor would it be any of your business if I was." She said, feeling proud of herself for keeping cool. The stack in her hands that she had accumulated went in her bag which she quickly slung over her shoulder.

A snort from the other girl stopped her just as she went to take her first step towards departure. "Where else are you going to go? It's not like you have some boy waiting for you somewhere."

All it took was a second of hesitation in response for her to pick on Hermione's unease. She tried to cover it with another roll of her eyes. "Of course not."

" _Of course not._ " Lavender mimicked before continuing in her normal irritating tone. "It's pretty sad you cannot make it past Date One with any wizard, huh? I mean, I am not surprised considering everyone thinks you are a freak but... It's Valentine's Day, there should be someone desperate enough... Anyone, at this point...Too bad you will always be a pariah. I am so glad Ron is finally seeing it as well."

Her head shook involuntarily at the baleful look that the witch pierced her with. It triggered echoes of the deafening screams of her dream to whisper in her ears. Fighting back tears she got out a breathy, "And I am the bitch, right?" before she left. The whole way to the common room door she kept her shoulders squared and head high, refusing to let her know how badly she had gotten under her skin.

As soon as she was in the shelter of the corridor she took a hard right and hurried away from the short-lived sanctuary. Unsure of where to go, she walked along in the darkening light from the sporadic windows, allowing her feet to carry her through the halls. She couldn't go to any of her established spots to finish her assignment. They were all too well known and she ran the risk of running into too many people she did not want to see. She couldn't go to the Room of Requirement for obvious reasons. She couldn't go outside, it would be below freezing soon and she wasn't properly dressed for that type of excursion. Even with a warming charm...

So she just kept wandering, slowly making her way through the castle. Trying to get her mind off of the insults that continued to scream in her head on repeat. As if the litany would end if she was able to get far enough from her problems. The unrealistic desire to walk out the front gates and go home was so overwhelming it reminded her of her first year. Back when she had been alone, in a new world, floundering for any kind of friendship from her fellow students.

There had been days when her homesickness for the muggle world felt like it would suffocate her. Her copious amount of preparation for the Wizarding World had done wonders on the academic front, aside from Snape, all of her teachers had appreciated her efforts. Which then caused numerous issues in the areas of social acceptance with her peers, giving her appearance of the Know-It-All to them. No one saw it for what it was... A scared little girl proving she could learn and adapt to all this new strangeness. Both to herself and to others.

With her head down most of the way it was a surprise when she stopped and took inventory of where she ended up... If she took a left at the next corridor she would pass the door to the empty classroom Draco had brought her to and confessed that his hatred had been an act...


	41. Chapter Forty

Although she knew it went against every shred of normalcy that she had fought for she took the turn anyway. Letting the memories of that night distract her from the taunts that kept ping-ponging around in her head. It was unreal how quickly the anger melted into his whispered confession and the eventual promises for another future meeting.

Her fingers ran along the wood of the closed door as she passed. Behind it was where everything had changed for her. It was the place that she'd had to accept what he told as true. No matter how unbelievable it felt. Just like the passageway under the tapestry, the innocuous room had changed her. Or at the very least, they were the physical representations of moments that had changed her.

She would never be the same person she had been before Christmas. If that refashioning was good or bad, she didn't know...

The sounds of sobbing as she went by made her stop in her tracks. Every wail that reached her ears had her stomach clenching for the mourner's gut wrenching pain. Unsure if it was a student, she carefully cracked the door open so she could peak in as quietly as the old hinges would allow. It took a second for her eyes to permeate the darkness and take in the ghostly form of a female. Her shoulders hunched with the weight of her sobs as she floated in the middle of the room.

Hermione knew she should close the door and leave the woman to herself but something felt wrong about leaving. Especially when there might be a way for her to help... She slipped into the room and let the latch catch to alert the other occupant that she was no longer alone.

A loud huff of frustration came from the apparition before she turned and faced her, asking. "Is there _nowhere_ I can go to be left alone on this dreadful day?"

Her eyebrow rose as she took in the ruffled appearance of the normally serene Gray Lady. The fact that she had even spoken to her signified the anguish the woman must be feeling. She rarely talked and when she did it was only to members of her House. Hermione inclined her head in a show of respect and rushed out. "I apologize, Lady. I did not mean to interrupt..."

"Undoubtedly that is a lie, otherwise you would have left when you saw the room was in use. Although I do appreciate the display of politeness. It shows you understand your actions were unmannerly and what the appropriate response to such an affront is. Unlike the two lovebirds who rudely told me to 'Bugger off' when I asked them to leave my garden." The Gray Lady said as she appraised her from a distance.

"Then let me apologize for my fellow students as well. Some of them like to act as if they were raised by the Erymanthian Boar and his mate." She said, shaking her head in disbelief that anyone could have heard the anguish in the ghost's tears and respond so rudely.

The small smile that crossed the silvery-gray lips of the deceased witch at her jibe surprised her. Her next words were even more unexpected. "You must be as clever as they say... To have wit like that at your disposal... Are you sure you were not meant for Ravenclaw my dear?"

She stood there in silence for a moment, letting her mind work over the compliment before answering. "Yes. While it is true I admire and posses many of the qualities that make your house so wonderful... Even at eleven, as I sat there during my sorting, I understood that I needed to push myself into action. So I asked to be placed were I am. In Gryffindor I would be constantly called to be more than what would have been expected of me in Ravenclaw. My presumption turned out to be true, they have helped mold me into a person who can withstand the pressures of an unpredictable future."

"Does that mean you do not think the students in Ravenclaw are ready for what is coming?"

"I do not know Lady... But that wasn't what I meant... Back then I had no idea what the future held. I was a Muggleborn who was petrified of being an outcast. I thought that the other Gryffindors could show me how to be brave and then I would be able to face this place, where everything was brand new. And with all due respect... If I would have been sorted into Ravenclaw I never would have learned how to act first. That calculating the risks of a situation can end up getting you killed and sometimes you have to be courageous enough to rely on your instincts. A valuable tool that has kept me alive so far... So yes... To answer your question again, I belong in Gryffindor."

"Very self reflective Miss Granger... I am glad you are happy with what you asked for. If becoming a lioness was what it took you to survive these halls and our world then so be it. I cannot fault you for being wise beyond your years and making such a choice at such a young age." A quick bow of the shade's head expressed the admiration for the explanation, more than her words ever could.

She finally returned the soft smile that had not left the ghost's lips through her entire commentary. "Thank you. For both the understanding and your time, which I should not take up any more of, Lady."

"Why did you truly come in here? I know you gawked at me for some time before you made the choice to enter. Was it morbid curiosity or was there another reason?"

"I did not know that it was you. If I had, I never would have imposed, knowing how you prefer your solitude... But the misery in the tone of your sobs... Spoke to me... I guess? I thought there might be a way that I could help." She hesitated before continuing. "There was also the hope that I would continue to be distracted from my own troubles... Sometimes it is easier to concentrate on others when you are hurting."

"That is very true child... How is it that you have learned lessons that it took me hundreds of years to figure out?"

Her eyes widen at the admission of ignorance but she swallowed down the natural inquiry that wanted to tumble out of her mouth. What had been the catalyst for the woman to suddenly decide she was worthy of her attention? It couldn't have been her reputation... She had always been known for her intelligence. Nor was it convenience. There were many times that she had drifted right on by her in the common room or halls. Was she... Was she _lonely_?

She shook the errant questions from her head and lifted a shoulder in response, giving the impression she was stumped by the question. Silence seemed like the best course of action...

"Differences in perspectives of the world, I would wager... I suppose I am holding you up from finding your own beau on this horrid night? Or... Are those the troubles you speak of?"

Her brilliant response was to stutter, unsure of how to proceed. The sharp shift into the direction of extremely personal information was abrupt and had set her off balance. The way the apparition's eyes narrowed and bore into hers told her that she had already given an unintended answer.

A soft sigh fell from the woman as she hovered there in silence for a moment before stating simply. "I see... That is too bad."

Once again she fled to the safety of silence which didn't appear to bother The Gray Lady in the slightest. She hovered there with her head tilted to the side, the same tranquil look that usually sat on her face in place. It did not take long for the long stretch to start to get to Hermione though. She shifted her weight from one foot to the other and her gaze flickered around the room before settling back on the eidolon.

"I would rather not speak of it..." She told her honestly. Proud of herself when her voice stayed even through the whole sentence.

"Naturally. The wisest witches know not go blabbing all of their business to strangers. Especially if the answers are painful..." The smirk that flashed on her lips made Hermione wonder if the woman's words were partly a jab at her earlier loose tongue, but before she could give it much thought the Lady started again. "Now, you have been more than forthcoming with me on other matters... So I think you have earned yourself an answer to one question, if you would like."

"Is this some kind of test? Like should I hold on to my answer for a later date?" She asked, raising her eyebrow at the offer.

"I do not know... _Should you_?" Was the counter followed by another flash of a smirk.

It wasn't out of the realm of possibilities for the Ravenclaw ghost to be playing a game with her, seeing if she would fall for a bait of sorts. On the other hand she couldn't see herself needing any information in the future. There were numerous other sources to be able to go to before the reclusive being in front of her.

She took the gamble and asked the question that had burning in the back of her mind since the first wail had hit her ears. "Why do you cry when you are alone, Lady?"

"Regrets..."

"Well... Obviously..." Hermione returned the ghost's smirk, she should have figured she would get a vague one word answer. She had not been specific enough in her request for information…

"I regret many things from my life and afterlife. When I take the time to reflect on all of the mistakes I have made over the last one thousand years or so... It can become overwhelming." She clarified before leaning forward in the space between them. "My answer will also come with a bit of advice... Do not live your life afraid of what others think of you. That only leads to hastily excused decisions which turn into regrets. As much as it pains to me to say this... Overthinking things _can_ cloud your judgement. Keep listening to those Gryffindor instincts first and you will make the correct choices."

"I... I will remember that. Thank you..." She found herself tripping over her words at the unexpected message.

The Gray Lady inclined her head once more before she turned and drifted over to the wall that had another classroom on the other side. She said nothing else as she phased through the stone. Leaving her to think on the last couple sentences of heavy counsel as she finally felt the chill on her skin from having been in a spirit's presence for so long. Now that room had returned to normal temperature she could feel how she become a human popsicle, but she didn't do anything to warm herself.

Instead for the second time that night she turned and ran from words that she didn't want bombarding her brain...


	42. Chapter Forty-One

Unwillingly she churned over the Gray Lady's advice all the way through rounds. No matter how hard she tried to think of other things, her mind continued to weave back to the words. She turned them over and over again. As hard as she struggled to find some hidden meaning to the message... It was straight forward enough.

Overthinking things can cloud your judgement. Keep listening to those Gryffindor instincts first and you will make the correct choices.

What good did it do her when her instincts screamed one hundred different things at once? Certainly the guidance would have been different if she had known the situation... There was no way she, or anyone, would approve of Hermione sneaking around to shack up with a confirmed Death Eater. Reformed or not! The choice would never be acceptable.

A deception tantamount to Judas Iscariot's betrayal. Especially in the Wizarding World... The traitorous knife she wielded was even heavier because it was against "The Boy Who Lived". The Chosen One, a true to life accidental Savior. Forgiveness would not be easily obtained if the truth of what she had already done was to come out. Which it would... Theodore Nott was proof enough of that.

She turned the corner down another dark corridor and ignored the hushed whispers for quiet behind a set of statues. Her distracted state had afforded many couples a pass that night. Instead of stopping and taking time from her musing, she left them for a different Prefect to happen upon and deal with. She rolled her eyes as the silence needed to conceal the happenings finally fell much too late, but continued on. Once again repeating the last seven sentences said to her earlier that evening. A different set of words stood out to her this time though:

Do not live your life afraid of what others think of you. That only leads to hastily excused decisions which turn into regrets eventually.

Had she not done just that at her fear of discovery? Made a monumental decision in a day because of her terror? Would she one day grow to regret not seeing where it could have gone? When she was on Death's doorstep would this be her biggest mistake? If they won and she survived to the age of one hundred and fifty would she still dream of him?

The answer to all of those questions was a loud and demanding " _Yes_ ".

They all already rang true... And if she was honest with herself, hadn't her instincts spoken that first night? Before her toxic doubts could start staining anything... She had chosen to trust Draco. It could have been a mix of confusion, desperation, adrenaline, hormones- and whatever else she wanted to blame. But deep down, even then, she had to of known on some subconscious level that he was a part of her future. Why else would she have ever taken the risk in the first place?

It was obvious that she was the one who had interrupted whatever he was doing in the room. Fate had put her in his path that night...

Or maybe she was overthinking again... Trying to find some hidden meaning so she could ease her guilty conscience. It very well could boil down to the fact that after spending time with him, he had become someone who actually made her happy in this madhouse of a school and she didn't want to lose that connection.

Whatever the reason, continuing to ignore his existence after the warnings given to her felt wrong. Even more wrong than being a traitor...

When she rounded the next corner, the first true smile in too long slipped onto her lips. She still had forty-five minutes left to her shift on patrol but started to make her way towards the seventh floor nonetheless. There was a chance, no matter how small, that he had still come up to escape from the ridiculousness of the holiday. If he wasn't there then she would have to resort to requesting for a meet up in the morning. And hoping he would answer her...

A prospect that was low considering how she had treated him since their last night together. She couldn't explain everything in a simple letter. The words had to be said in person or not all. They would never come out right scratched onto a piece of parchment. She wasn't even sure the description would be correct face to face, but it would allow for him to see how affected she had been by Nott and how sincere her apology was.

Her anxiety ratcheted up at the thought that she would never get the chance to tell him and she would end up like the Gray Lady, stuck with regrets she couldn't talk to anyone about. What if he refused to waste his time on someone who would drop him the first time someone said boo? If their situations had been reversed she doubted she would be able to forgive...

The closer she got to the corridor that held the entrance to the Room of Requirement her heart started to beat harder and a layer of sweat broke out on her palms. She wanted him to be there but was afraid that it wouldn't be Her Draco that she would find. How would she react if it was the Old Draco? Would she be able to keep herself together long enough to say what she needed to? Or would her anger at herself take control and get spewed at him?

Too many questions... And only one way to find answers.

 **-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-**

Hermione stood across the hall and stared at the section of stone. She wasn't sure exactly how long she had been there but it had to be past shift change by then. Her lips and fingertips had started to go numb from being so still in the bitterness that still clung to the air. A quick sweep of the corridor confirmed that she was alone and she took slow steps until she was half way between both walls.

She closed her eyes tightly and paced. "I need the door to Draco Malfoy's room... I need the door to Draco Malfoy's room... I need the door to Draco Malfoy's room..."

She let out a trembling breath before she peeked out of the corner of her eye at the unchanged wall. Her teeth automatically found the flesh of her bottom lip and bit down hard enough to distract from her instantly racing thoughts. She tried the simple routine again, hoping for a different result. "I need the door to Draco Malfoy's room... I need the door to Draco Malfoy's room... I need the door to Draco's Malfoy's room... _Please_..."

The wall held firm and she let go of her lip to gulp down a deep breath of air. He just hadn't come... Why would he have? There was no way he could possibly know she'd show up after all, she reminded herself. There was also no reason to feel the sting of rejection when his room probably couldn't be summoned without occupancy. The theory did little to help, but she grasped onto it anyway.

Her body disregarded the attempt at explanation and tears still sprung to her eyes. She blinked violently, trying in vain to keep them from her cheeks. Quickly growing annoyed at herself she realized she needed to get a grip before going anywhere near the vicinity of Gryffindor Tower. Loads of couples were bound to still be engaging in amorous activities and she didn't want word of her crying again to reach Harry's or Ginny's ears.

For a moment she thought of the normal tiny room she had taken to earlier in the year, but returning to the scene of the crime was much too tempting. Especially considering who her tears were for.

Once again she paced and mumbled the words she had used the night of the party. "I need a place to hide. I need a place to hide. I need a place to hide."

This time she chose to keep her eyes open to watch what happened. Her shoulders sagged in relief as the ancient door appeared for her, there had been a split second where she had thought she wouldn't be that lucky. She rushed forward and quietly slipped inside. Immediately the surreal sense of déjà vu hit her in the face like a brick, as if she had come full circle since the last holiday.

Somehow the room looked to have grown even bigger than the last time she had been there. Admittedly it was probably more along the lines of her mind just not being able to recall the expansiveness correctly. Even as the tears continued to run jagged lines down her face she was in awe. Her feet brought her forward to the edge of where the maze began... It wouldn't be hard for her to retrace her steps and find the exact spot...

The allure of the notion was definitely there, but tempting Fate for the second time when it came to that jewelry box was a foolish endeavor. Especially when she had no guarantee that her knowledge of its power would help her in the slightest. She took a step back before her curiosity could drive her to take the plunge and wiped at the dampness on her cheeks.

What she needed was a way to distract herself from the illogical mess the crash from all of the adrenaline having no outlet had caused inside of her. The logical part of her brain understood that the response was wrong... Or more that she had no proof of the perceived slight so the fact that she was upset was wrong... There was no reason to feel this way, other than the hormone centers of her brain taking control.

She made her way over to the table that now held Willcott's letter to Matilda, being careful not to slip on any loose piece of parchment that littered the floor. As her eyes clouded over again she sank to the ground and started to gather them all quickly. Desperate for something to do and organizing had always been one of her specialties. It was mind numbing work and that was exactly what she needed.

She let herself get lost in the process of collecting each stray piece of parchment that did not yet belong to a stack and finding it a place. By the time she was done, she could see clearly. So she continued on, righting the stacks that looked like they were one nudge away from toppling.

As she started to calm down she let her thoughts slip from the simple task and wander. She wondered if this was Karma's way of letting her know a small taste of what Draco must have been going through the past few days. If so, She was as much of a bitch as her sister. Maybe even more so with her love of retribution...

The explanation for her uncontrollable reaction made sense in a sick and twisted way. She deserved to feel the way she did because no matter what she did she was hurting someone. Her consequence for being too weak-willed the first time she had found herself here...

She needed to figure out how to make things right with everyone that she cared about. It might not even be possible but she had to try... A quick shake of her head brought her back to the present and she looked around at the much more stable looking table, the thing no longer looked about to fall under the immense weight. She hadn't removed anything, it was all just perception.

The parallel to her life actually made a giggle rise up. When everything seemed all chaotic and out of control she always wanted to fix it. Push everything into neat little rows to mask the disarray. Draco had shown her that good could come from the madness. She quickly pocketed the letter meant for the eyes of another and then swept her arms against one of the piles, watching as a part of her hard work fell and scattered across the floor.

Another giggle left her mouth as she grabbed a large pile from the stack before throwing them up into the air. The way each parchment was unique, both in the markings strewn on them and their sizes reminded her of giant snowflakes, as they floated down and landed on the floor at her feet and across the newly made workspace she had cleared. She slipped her hand back into her pocket and clutched the token she had stolen. It was something to remind of her realizations that night when things got hard... Which they were sure to do.

Hermione stepped carefully over the new carpet, making sure she was on solid stone before turning and taking in the havoc she had created. The grin that was on her lips from her earlier giggles turned into a full blown smile. Maybe one day she would come back to clean it up, but she liked the mark she had left on the space. It felt fitting to leave it exactly as it was... A physical representation of her frenzied rush of thoughts hidden from the world.

She couldn't fix everything, no matter how hard she tried. And it was time to throw her hands up and see where the pieces landed...

 **-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-**

 _I really liked this chapter, for being a kind of... "Filler" chapter, I guess. What did you all think?_

 _How do you think Draco is going to react? Ignore her summons? Come but be an ass? Or will he be all sweet and understanding?_

 _You know the drill! Let me know down below..._

 _Thank you for being understanding and such awesome readers._

 _I know I said this just a couple chapters back but... You all make the sleepless nights, when writer's block hits and I feel like giving up, worth it! A thousand times over! Thank you for your support and words of encouragement. Thank you for coming back over and over again. Thank you for boosting my confidence in the choice to even start! Each and every single one of you are amazing!_

 _I hope your day is filled with laughter and all the good things._

 _As Always..._

 _Much love,_  
 _SlytherclawLuv_


	43. Chapter Forty-Two

The next morning she sat on her bed with Crookshanks cuddled in her lap and absentmindedly disentangled the mats from his fur. He had gone on one of his occasional adventures, probably into the Forbidden Forest by the looks of him. It wasn't unusual for the cat to disappear for days and end up reappearing a little worse for the wear. At least this time he had come back uninjured.

A steady low growl let her know he wasn't exactly happy with what she was doing but he did not attack her. She was the only one who could get away with grooming him without any scars to show later. While he had gotten his temper under control over the years... His personality still led him towards a more solitary lifestyle. Something she showed respect for by allowing him free reign.

She couldn't help the snort as the memory of how that had been such an issue between her and Ron in Third Year popped into her head. The benefit of hindsight allowed her to feel vindicated in the choice but now she could also understand where he had been coming from. If anyone tried to hurt her baby she would hex them into oblivion without a second thought... She leaned down and placed a quick kiss to the top of his head and murmured. "Should have let you eat that nasty rat..."

He huffed as if he understood and agreed before jumping from her lap and finding his favorite napping spot on her pillow. She sighed as she stood up and wiped the excess hair from her skirt and blouse. There was no reason to look as disheveled as she felt from another night of not sleeping. As soon as the sun had started to rise she was at the Owlery. The note she attached to the same owl she had sent to her parents was short and to the point.

 _Meet me tonight where things go to disappear... Please?_

It had taken her all night to make the choice not to elaborate. She was afraid of another Nott situation happening. Besides... If she gave it all away in writing he would have no reason to show up to hear her... Manipulative? Just a tad, she could admit that. At this point she needed to play all of her cards if she wanted a chance to explain.

She added a sweater before she slipped into robes and grabbed her bag. Another quick scratch right behind the ears for Crookshanks was the last thing she did prior to leaving the dorm and heading down to breakfast early.

 **-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-**

When she finally surfaced from the Arithmancy chart she was surprised to find that the tables were nearly full with students. During the time she had been working her deep concentration had blocked out the sounds that came from the other occupants in the room enjoying their meals. The sudden burst of volume that hit her eardrums had her blinking for a few seconds as she tried to reorientate herself.

"Ahh! There she is!" Ginny said teasingly from her right.

She startled but quickly turned to face her with a sheepish grin on her face. "Sorry... How long have you been there?"

"I'm finished eating. The look on your face told me to leave you alone unless I wanted to spend the day nursing wounds... So I let you be." The girl said, playfully pushing at the top of her shoulder.

"Come off it! I am not _that_ bad!" Hermione replied with a roll of her eyes as she shifted from the shove.

It was Ginny's turn to roll her eyes and draw out the single word response. " _Sure_..."

"If I am such a horrid beast why are messing with me? You would think you would be afraid..."

"Oh please... I didn't interrupt you. I was smart, which means I am safe from a tongue lashing... For now." The redhead explained with a smirk.

She raised an eyebrow at the last bit and chose not to ask what she might need to complain about later. Much like Fred and George there was no trying to talk the youngest Weasley out of whatever she had planned. Better to leave it a surprise... She slipped her assignment in the bag at her feet before changing the subject. "How was your night?"

"It was... Fun, until we started arguing again..." Her friend answered as she reached up and brushed a lock of long hair behind her ear. "Yours?"

"Same old, same old."

"You didn't send loads of rule breakers to their deaths by detentions?"

She shook her head and glanced up as the owls started pouring in. A quick rush of anxiety had her feeling nauseous but she stopped herself from looking over her shoulder to see if he had received anything yet. Nott's words about them not being able to keep their eyes off of one another had left a lasting impression...

"What?! You do not get them enough to know how dreadfully boring they are. I swear if I have to sit and write another extra six page essay for Snape or McGonagall again I will keel over before I finish!"

"Stop getting yourself into trouble then. It is that simple."

"For _you_ maybe..." Ginny mumbled as she watched Dean feed the owl that had dropped off a letter for him.

It was her turn to bump shoulders to get the other girl's attention. "Go talk to him."

"Huh?"

"Go. Talk. To. Him." She said slowly as if she daft. "Whatever the row was about obviously it wasn't that bad. Otherwise he wouldn't still have eyebrows... So talk it out... Or don't... But you both shouldn't sit and stew. It'll cause more issues in the long run."

"I... I don't know..." The witch said, her features twisting with worry.

She gave her another gentle nudge. "What if you don't and you cannot even salvage a friendship? Do you really want to lose that? Go..."

"Alright, alright! Quit pestering!" Her friend said as she turned back to her, a slightly defeated stance to the set of her shoulders.

"I only do it because I care." Hermione sung as she stood up to go, hoping her disappearance would help with the decision on working towards a reconciliation, in whatever form that would take.

It wouldn't surprise her if they did break up. Dean had some deeply harbored jealousy towards "The Boy Who Lived", which she could not blame him for... The mutual crushage between the pair was obvious to everyone but Harry and she highly doubted the pair would last till the end of the year. The only reason she had pushed was because she knew Ginny... Guilt from the surely vicious words that had passed between them would eat her alive. If she apologized and they left things on decent terms it let the girl move on with no remorse.

"More like you can't _stop_ yourself..."

"A smidge of both?" She conceded with a small smile before she shrugged her bag on her shoulder. She watched as Ginny's attention was diverted back to her boyfriend, who was hunched over the piece of parchment, purposely not looking their way. "It will be okay... No matter what happens. And well... If I am wrong and you need me, I will be in the Library."

"Hmmmm? Oh yeah... Sure." The girl said, completely distracted by the task she was about to undertake.

Hermione shook her head as she turned and started on her typical route to her destination. It felt nice to do something she had done a thousand times. A return to normalcy after her self-imposed seclusion. If she wasn't waiting for a response from her paramour she could convince herself that it was like every other mundane Saturday...

 **-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-**

After curfew that night she stayed in her favorite chair in the common room with a muggle fiction book in her lap, pretending to read. The pretense gave her an excuse to not interact much while simultaneously allowing her to gage when she could sneak off without getting caught. She knew it was a futile gesture to go and see if Draco showed up when she had never gotten a response but the masochistic streak in her wouldn't let her accept the not-so subtle message.

So she waited for what felt like ages as the crowd around her slowly dispersed to their beds before clearing her throat causing Harry to look up from the Marauder's Map for the first time in nearly thirty minutes. She offered an apologetic grin. "I am sorry to interrupt your search... But do you think I could borrow that for the night?"

His eyebrows came together in confusion. "Why would you want the map?"

"Well... I was thinking that I might have missed something in the Restricted Section when it comes to your problems. I don't want to get your hopes up but... I was translating a particularly tricky rune out of Advanced Rune Translation when I remembered there was a book with the runes mannaz and isa on the spine..." The lies falling easily from her lips, she stared at him as if that should mean anything more than gibberish before sighing. "Mannaz is a rare rune that means augmentation... Isa is usually is used in the context of ego but can be interchangeable with soul... I hadn't made the connection back when I first saw it. It's probably nothing but there is a chance..."

The confusion fled his face and was replaced with an eager hope to get any more answers than he had already been given. An innocent gesture that sent another stone of guilt to settle in her stomach. He sat up straighter and nodded. "There is a chance?"

"A very _small_ chance that the book might have some answers. But I don't know yet, Harry! That is why I want to be able to check it out and translate what I can before you get too excited, okay?! Truly I think it will just be another dead end... But I should still try right?"

She watched as the light instantly drained from his eyes and body as if the weight of the world had crashed back down on his shoulders. "And why do you need the map for that?"

"Pince and Filch have upped patrols around there for the foreseeable future because of the brainless fifth years that got caught in a very compromising position last night. All that I need to do is slip in and out but I cannot end up with anymore detentions..." She told him, when in all actuality she didn't want to have to worry about him continuing to obsess over the thing. At least for the night... The boy needed some sleep.

"Oh... True... Do you want me to come with to keep watch?"

"No. It will be a quick thing. I won't be dallying, I promise."

He shrugged before tapping the parchment with his wand and handing it over. "Do you want the Cloak too?"

"Uhhh... You think I should?"

"I think you shouldn't go alone but since you are sure you can handle it... It would make me feel better."

"O...Okay." She got out around the sudden stabbing pain in her throat. As good as she had become at it, she hated lying. Especially to him...

He rushed off to his dorm to get the Invisibility Cloak and she took the time to fold up the parchment correctly before slipping it into the book in her lap. While she understood the usefulness of it when they were trying to do something dangerous... The lure to become a voyeur was much too great for her to be comfortable with using it just to see what others were up to. One look at Harry's obsession with Draco was enough evidence to the fact.

So as much as she wanted to use it for a quick peek to see what his decision was... She picked up her bag from where she had left it next to the chair and put the book inside. The illogical thought that she would be able to ignore the helpful creation the farther away from her person it was compelled her to push it all the way to the bottom. Underneath all of the scraps and forgotten bits... She made her way over to the bottom of the stairs that Harry had disappeared up and waited for him to return.

It only took a few more moments and he came running down and jumped off from fifth step up. A goofy grin on his face as he skidded to a stop in front of her. "Sorry... Didn't mean to take forever."

"Such a sloth..." She said jokingly as he placed one of his most beloved possessions in her outstretched hands.

"I know right!" He joked back with a roll of his bright green eyes.

She added the cloak to her bag before clasping the buckle shut. A gesture that she rarely wasted time on but with the added cargo she felt the need. Once she was sure everything was secure she looked back up and met his gaze again. "Thank you."

"Probably doing me a favor... It's not like anything eventful was happening anyway..." He said with a shrug before his look turned grave. "Be careful."

"I will be, as long as you promise to get some sleep." Her perfect imitation of the way Mrs. Weasley would purse her lips shattered the attempted seriousness of the moment.

"Yeah, yeah." He responded with Ginny's dismissive.

"I mean it... I will get McGonagall involved if I have to. Can't have our Quidditch Captain plummeting to his death because he fell asleep on his broom..."

Harry appraised her for a second, gauging her mood before smirking. "You wouldn't..."

"No... But I _should_." She told him with a mock glare.

"Fine! Going to bed now..." He said before walking backwards towards the staircase. "See!"

She shook her head at his antics and slipped her bag onto her shoulder. "Goodnight Harry..."

"Goodnight, see you in the morning... I hope with some good news!" He told her as he took the first step up without even looking. The way he stared at her made it seem like he wanted to argue to come with but his gaze was gone before she could even come up with another rebuttal. He turned and made his ascent, quickly receding from her view.

Hermione took a slow breath. Giving her heartbeat time to return to a more moderate range. Once she was certain she was as calm as she was going to get she reached across her middle and hitched the bag higher on her shoulder. The strap dug into her skin from the added weight but she ignored the sting and turned to start her own, much longer trek to the Room of Requirement.

Preparing for another sleepless night... With a whole day with Snape to look forward to the next day.

If the Gods were feeling favorable, it wouldn't be for nothing...

 **-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-**

 _So sorry for anyone who was itching for some Dramione action! You will just have to be a tad bit more patient... I promise it's coming! Eventually... ;)_

 _Random Hypothetical Question Time!_

 _If Draco ends up showing up and everything is forgiven... Where in the castle do you think Hermione would bring him? Since they would have the night off with her having the map and all..._

 _You know the drill... Let me know down below!_

 _Hope your night is going well._

 _Mine is going to consist of sitting and counting down the next two hours before I turn an embarrassing age to be starting a fan fic, lmao. But I am glad I did it! I am loving the ride._

 _Anyways... As Always..._

 _Much love,_  
 _SlytherclawLuv_


	44. Chapter Forty-Three

The cursory glance she gave the entrance to the room was enough to clue her in that she was alone. Nothing had changed since the night before... Evidence of her moment of enlightenment still spilled into the makeshift threshold that served as a passageway to the hoard. Her deliberate blanket of parchment was left unblemished by the marks that would have been there if someone had walked across.

She sighed as she leaned back against the door in the same spot she had rested against that night. An intense memory of staring up into his stormy gray eyes had her gaze automatically seeking for him... All that she found was the same nothing. The way her stomach twisted with a completely new round of guilt had her quickly disentangling herself from the bag across her middle. She set it down on the floor next to her, glad to have extra weight off of her body.

It did little for the nasty feelings that snaked their way through her veins but the intended freedom for easier movement was appeased and her body called for action. She pushed herself from the wall and made her way across the sea of papers, the crunching of old parchment was the only sound that joined the noisy way her rushed breaths left her lungs. Her pace was purposeful as she approached the entrance to the towering web of objects.

Instead of feeling the fear she had been expecting there was a surge of recklessness. Tempting her to keep moving and conquer the unknown... To take away the air of mystique from the place so it would not have the ability to stop her dead in her tracks. Give herself some sense of power when everything else was utterly out of her control... She was ready this time. Sound of mind and with every bit of her intelligence at her disposal, she would easily be able to make her way around and resist any nasty bits of magic that could possibly try to entrap her.

All that she had to do was make the simple choice to step over the invisible barrier in her mind that somehow convinced her that she was only safe on this side...

As soon as the thought ran through her mind the sudden burst of energy left her just as quickly as it came and she sunk onto the floor. How could she trust her choices when all she seemed capable of lately was messing things up? Was this another simple looking choice that could possibly lead to far reaching consequences? Just like the last time... Would the feeling of accomplishment at the end be worth the risk?

Plagued with indecision she pulled her legs out from under her and brought them up against her chest so she could rest her chin on her knees. She knew that she should go back to her dorm. That was the logical thing to do, but she couldn't seem to find the strength that had made her think that she could tackle the maze again.

Heck, making her way back to the bag felt like an insurmountable task!

And what if she left only to miss his appearance? Harry's willingness to part with the Map so easily was a sign that Draco's behavior tonight was anything but suspicious. The chance was so infinitesimally small that he would show up after her abhorrent behavior, that it was laughable she had even come instead of sleeping in preparation for tomorrow. Which was sure to be a wonderful day filled with monotony and glares from one of the only teachers that didn't like her in the whole school, besides Trelawney...

But he would want answers wouldn't he? Or were the days of silence enough to piss him off so completely that he didn't care?

Hermione sighed and glared at a rusted axe leaning against a broken wardrobe a few feet into the passageway that led to the right. She would give him thirty minutes... If he did not make an appearance before the allotted time she would go back and try to figure out how to word her explanation so that he would understand and no one else would be able to glean any useful information from it. A highly unlikely scenario but she wouldn't be left with any other choice.

Her chaotic thoughts settled with the formation of the rudimentary plan, allowing the tense set of her muscles to relax. It wasn't anything elaborate or even well-thought out but it gave her a faint but undeniable feeling of control. Knowing she was not going to waste the whole night away like her depressive inner monologue wanted, gave her the only solace she might find by the end of the night.

She reverted back to her traditional time waster, humming songs, so that she wouldn't get swallowed back up in the ever changing directions of her moods. There was no use in riding that particular roller coaster anymore than she had to... After the fourth song, a catchy little number by Celestina Warbeck that Mrs. Weasley was fond off, she started to sing softly. The seclusion of the room boosting her confidence, there was no way anyone would overhear.

By the time she came to what she decided would be her last song she was belting out the lyrics...

 _Nobody sees, nobody knows._  
 _We are a secret, can't be exposed._  
 _That's how it is, that's how it goes._  
 _Far from the others, close to each other._

 _In the daylight, in the daylight,_  
 _When the sun is shining._  
 _On the late night, on the late night,_  
 _When the moon is blinding._  
 _In the plain sight, in plain sight,_  
 _Like stars in hiding, you and I burn on._

 _Put two and two together, forever will never change._  
 _Two and two together will never change._  
 _Nobody sees, nobody knows._  
 _We are a secret, can't be exposed._  
 _That's how it is, that's how it goes._  
 _Far from the others, close to each other._

 _That's when we uncover, cover, cover._  
 _That's when we uncover, cover, cover._  
 _My asylum, my asylum is in your arms._

 _When the world gives heavy burdens,_  
 _I can bear a thousand times,_  
 _On your shoulder, on your shoulder._  
 _I can reach an endless sky._  
 _Feels like paradise._

The sound of someone clearing their throat made her jump and whip around to see the identity of the interloper. And there he stood... A nasty smirk playing on his lips as he stood by the door, every inch of his demeanor screamed that it wasn't the Draco she wanted to meet in front of her, but the carefully control mask he used with everyone else. He let the silence stretch out for a few more moments before drawling. "I hope you are not expecting any cheers for that impersonation of a dying banshee's screeches."

She felt the heat of her blush flooding her cheeks but stayed silent and blinked a few times to make sure he was really there. Any optimistic expectation for him to show up had quickly died as the minutes had ticked on by. It was more likely that her mind had finally cracked and it was a hallucination standing there. She watched as his upper lip lifted into a full on sneer before he asked. "Do you like sitting on the dirty ground like some kind of animal?"

"Why not? It is where I belong after all... Right Malfoy?" She countered. It was not how she had wanted their reunion to go but her anger at the fake confidence he projected was immediate and stifled the apology she had painstakingly crafted throughout the day.

His eyes narrowing at her use of his surname was the only indicator that she had rattled him. "Mmmm... It is music to my ears when a Gryffindor _bitch_ learns their place. Much more heartwarming than the drivel you were just butchering..."

Adrenaline surged through her body prompting her stand and face him before returning his glare. "I would imagine it is just as heartwarming as watching sycophantic murderers ending up _exactly_ where they belong..."

As soon as the implication left her mouth she regretted it. She had crossed an invisible but very distinct line without thinking. The subject of the night at the Ministry was like a taboo subject between them, rarely referenced and always in an awkward fumbling way. The defensiveness of her anger crumbled around her as she watched the insinuation that she found immense pleasure in something that still caused him grief registered in his eyes. There was a momentary flash of pain in them before he quickly slammed the mask back into place and snarled. "Fuck you, Granger."

"I... I am sorry, that was low. I... I don't know why I said that." She stammered over her words as she rushed over to where her bag sat next to the door, only a few feet from where he stood. "I shouldn't have asked you to come. This was a mistake."

"A mistake? What you thought you could shrug me off for days and then I was going to jump when you finally decided to call?" He asked incredulously as he shifted in front of the door, blocking the exit.

She grabbed the strap of her bag and slung it over her head before turning back towards him. "Yes, a mistake. And no that is not what I expected... I didn't even think you would show. I had hopes, of course, to be given the chance to explain... But it is very apparent that is not what you came here for tonight and I refuse to stand here and continue to argue with you. I already have enough regrets where you are concerned. So _please_ excuse me..."

"Oh so you do have excuses for your behavior?" He mocked as he leaned back against the door and propped his weight up on it. The message that he was not going to make her leaving an easy option became immediately obvious. "Why don't you tell me them then..."

"What is the point? You already hate me again and maybe that is the way this is supposed to end... It would make things much easier in the long run, don't you think?"

"Bullshit. Tell me why you did everything in your power to avoid me and then suddenly wanted to meet." Draco's jaw clenched at the end of his demands, as if he was resisting saying anything more.

His glare held her gaze for a long stretch of time while she debated with herself. Unsure if there had been some truth to her earlier words or not. Finally, she dropped her eyes to space between their feet on the floor and whispered. "I was... I _am_ afraid."

"Who says I'm not?" The way his voice broke at the end had her quickly looking back up to his face, where the dreaded mask was starting to crack. His eyes shined with unshed tears behind the glare.

"I... I didn't mean to imply you weren't." She snapped before gaining control of her anger once again. She knew it was misplaced and the person she was actually angry with was herself, for not trusting him with the truth sooner. Or at least part of it... There was no reason to put Nott in any danger of harm when he was just trying to protect a friend. Her tone was much softer when she continued. "You didn't have the luck of dealing with threats from someone who figured out what was going on now did you?"

"What?!" He hissed, the shock of her words caused any traces of anger to slip from his features. His stood up from the door and took a step forward, closing the distance between them. " _Who?_ "

"It doesn't matter. I've taken care of it. I just... It shook me, just like it did you, okay? And... And I thought I could just break it off and then there wouldn't be any worries about someone else finding out. As if it could possibly be that easy right? As if you didn't haunt me even in my sleep... But then I got some very good advice from an unlikely source and I realized that I wanted the chance to apologize for... Well... Being a coward and running." She rushed out. The eloquent rehearsed version of her explanation going out the window with him standing there so close that she could feel the tension rolling off of him.

"Wait... That was a lot to throw at me at once. First, yes it does matter who was threatening you..." He told her while his hands shook at his side, betraying the carefully guarded grip on his emotions.

"I told you that I took care of it. The person was just worried... Which I am sure anyone that either of us know would be if they found out." She interrupted him, surprised that was what had stood out to him. Not her apology but that someone would dare to threaten her. Especially when he knew how often it happened in his vicinity on any given day.

"Did you Obliviate them?"

"I... No... I thought about it. Believe me... I even had the errant thought of doing so to you, but ultimately I didn't feel comfortable with using either of you as guinea pigs."

His eyebrows rose disbelievingly at her admission before he leaned down so their faces were only inches apart. "There is someone in this castle who has the ability to destroy both of us. I will not allow that to happen so tell me who it is."

"No..."

"Granger, do _not_ mess me. If you are not willing to do what needs to be done for both of our safety... I will."

"No... You would get expelled if anyone found out you used magic like that against another student. How would that play out for you? Do you think You-Know-Who would allow that to go unpunished?" She hitched her bag higher up on her shoulder, steeling herself for his anger at not giving in.

He groaned and leaned down so he could press his forehead against hers and stare into her eyes. "That is exactly _why_ you need to tell me who it was. We cannot have people walking around with knowledge of us. He... He can get inside people's heads pet. This person is not safe. _We_ are not safe. Just tell me so I can take care of it, okay?"

"It's... It's too risky." She whispered, her heart pounding like mad from the desperate way her body craved for her to close the short distance between them

"Listen to me... It's too fucking risky to let this person walk away with those memories. I am willing to do whatever it takes to protect yo... us." He told her, grabbing both her arms to keep her in place when she went to pull away so she would be able to think more clearly.

"No... He isn't threat. He was just worried about you..." She mumbled as she tried to keep her thoughts in order.

"Worried about me? So it wasn't Potter then..." Draco said as he pulled his head from hers and stared over her shoulder. Trying to work out the identity of the unlucky perpetrator.

She couldn't stop the snort at his first assumption. There was no way Harry would have been "just worried" if he figured it out. Livid... Confused... Hurt... But worried? She watched his face as he continued to stare off over her shoulder and kept quiet, what she had already let slip was far too much.

Slowly his eyes got narrower and narrower as he worked over the scarce clues she had given him until he was glaring behind her. His hands that were still wrapped around her arms right above the elbow tightened for a moment before he looked back down at her. "...Theo?"

"N...No..." She mumbled, knowing she did not sound convincing in the slightest.

"Of course it was him. He has been jumpy for the past week. I thought it was because of... Something else. That son of a jackal! Why did he go to _you?_ " He surmised and then questioned, letting the grip he had on her go before taking a half a step back towards the door.

"He didn't! I don't know why Theodore Nott would be acting strangely around you but he... Your guess is wrong. Okay? Just drop it!" She cried out as she matched his movement with a step forward so she was almost pressed against his chest.

"Why would you want to protect him? You hate Theo."

"Because he was _afraid_ of you! When I asked him why he didn't just go to you with his accusations he hinted that he was afraid you would hurt him, alright!? And if I am being honest, _so am I!_ "

He glanced back down to her face and shook his head. "I am not going to hurt him. I know what I am doing. Go back to your dorm and sleep."

"How do you know what you are doing? It's not like you actually know how to perform the spell correctly!" She asked, her tone getting shriller as each word passed from between her lips.

"You would be surprised what I know how to do Kitten..." He whispered, his gaze once again finding the far off place behind her shoulder.

The implication in his words ringing louder in her ears than her own frantic heartbeat Hermione grasped for the last straw she could use... "But... He is your _friend_."

"And that is why I have to do this. Theodore is not strong enough to hide his feelings from anyone, much less be able to block Him. This is the only way to keep all of us safe."

She reached up and placed a palm to his cheek, making his attention come back on to her, instead of whatever played in his head. "Draco... Listen to me. How are you going to keep anyone safe if you are locked away? You know there would be an investigation... What would the Ministry find? You would end up in a cell next to your Father's! Who is going to keep your Mother alive then?"

"I... I have to go." He took the hand that was resting on the side of his face and kissed the knuckles. A playful smirk crossed his lips when he pulled away and let her wrist go so her arm fell back down to her side. "But before I do, I have to say... I accept your apology and I don't truly think you sound like a dying banshee."

"Please... _Don't_..."

Her pleas were cut short by his lips capturing hers in a spirited kiss that ended much quicker than she would have liked. She stubbornly kept her eyes closed and finally opened them as his chuckle reminded her of the current circumstances, before she could start back in he interrupted. "There is no need to worry. You will be seeing me tomorrow."

The confusion at his cocky assumption distracted her again. Which was undoubtedly his plan but she fell for the bait anyway and asked. "I will?"

"Oh yes, didn't I tell you? I was determined to see you one way or another, so I will be joining you in detention." Amusement twinkled in his eyes as he took the last step between him and the door still facing her.

"We were quite busy discussing other things... Speaking of..." She said, raising an eyebrow as his hand traveled over to the doorknob and grasped it.

"And with that I must bid you a good night. Until tomorrow!" Draco interrupted as he pulled open the door with a trace of his earlier smirk flashing on his lips. He slipped out of the room and closed the door behind him before she could even try to object again.

Hermione stood blinking at the rude dismissal for a few seconds, but her confusion ebbed rapidly and her annoyance sent her forward to follow him out. As soon as she crossed into the dark corridor she knew it was useless. Despite the fact that mere moments had passed there was no sign of him. There was no swish of fabric or tell tale slap of his shoes from what had to be a hasty escape. Nothing to alert her to take a left or right...

She stood there and debated with the irrational part of herself that demanded she seek him out. Eventually the vexation subsided slightly and she decided to head back to her dorm and try to sleep. While she doubted it was possible knowing what he was about to attempt, if he did succeed without getting caught the prospect of spending a whole day trapped in a room with Draco and Snape was...

A nightmare waiting to happen... One that would only be made worse if she didn't get any sleep...

 **-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-**

 _Yes! Yes! I know... FINALLY an update. I am horrible and could give a bunch of excuses but pretty much it all boils down to life getting in the way. And I apologize profusely for sucking so badly. That is why I tried to make this an extra long one for you all!_

 _Please let me know what you thought down below! Your thoughts, good or bad, are my muses!_

 _What about the next chapter? What do you think is going to happen during detention? A lot of awkward silences and stolen glances?_

 _I hope everyone is having an amazing night/day (whenever you are reading this)!_

 _As Always..._

 _Much love,_  
 _SlytherclawLuv_

 _Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling is sole owner and creator of the characters and universe used within my fanfiction. I just dabble in her world. I receive no compensation, in any form, for the time I put into this. Just all your guys' love in the forms of reviews, follows and favorites!_

 _Song Credit:_  
 _"Uncover" by Zara Larsson_


	45. Chapter Forty-Four

When she woke the next morning to the dorm room door slamming shut she groaned loudly and pulled the blanket over her head. A lazy attempt to keep the sun from nudging her eyes open before she remembered what she had to look forward to that day. Another long groan came from deep in the pit of her stomach. Her prediction for a lack of sleep had proven correct.

She had stayed up for hours thinking each gust of wind against the window was someone coming to summon her for questioning. And once she had calmed enough to fall asleep it was broken with nightmares where she was wandering in the dark looking for something... Anything to give a hint to where she was, but it never came. She would wake only to be shrouded in the same inky stillness of night which would just intensify her anxiety, causing her to have to start the calming process all over again.

With one last groan she pulled the blanket back down and opened her eyes to the day... Wishing she didn't have to make the trek all the way down to the Great Hall for caffeine...

 **-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-**

Hermione stood outside of Snape's classroom door at the predetermined time of nine o'clock. She'd had hopes that she would be shipped off to be someone else's responsibility (preferably Hagrid's) but then she had gotten the note while sipping her third cup of coffee and they were instantly dashed. There was not going to be an easy out for her today... Snape would probably have her grading papers or working on some other monotonous task for hours on end.

At the very least she had much more confidence that Draco hadn't gone through with his plans. Nott had shown up looking tired but normal at breakfast right before she had to leave. He didn't seem to be experiencing any of the side effects of an Obliviation spell. There were no signs of disorientation or weakness... Just a crabby look that was quickly fought off with food, tea and jokes among friends.

Her musings were halted when Snape turned the corner and made his way down to meet her, with Draco closely at his heels. They both wore looks of extreme annoyance on their faces which she probably would have found comical if she wasn't about to spend an extended amount of time with them. She stayed quiet and let her stare land on a particularly bland stone halfway up the wall to cover up her scrutiny of the pair.

Snape flung open the door and gestured for her and Draco to enter. They quickly followed the unspoken command obediently. She stepped into the room and waited a few feet from the door to be told what to do while Draco made his way to the closest table and sat down. Snape slammed the door shut behind them and made his way up the aisle to his desk before finally turning and addressing her. "Are you going to stand there all day Miss Granger?"

"No sir..." She responded instantly and went to the table and seat she used during class out of habit. She kept her eyes down, sensing the man was in no mood for any type of insubordination.

"You will be grading First Year essays until lunch Draco..." With a flick of his wand Snape sent a stack of parchments across the room that landed on the table along with a quill and inkwell. She kept her eyes forward but could hear Draco shuffling for a moment before settling down. Once their Professor was adequately mollified that his instructions were being followed he turned back to her. His pitch black eyes narrowed menacingly at her before he turned around to the chalkboard behind him, which moved out of his way with another wave of his wand. Allowing her a view of a table which held a simmering cauldron. "And you, to start with, are going to complete Part Two: Step One of the Polyjuice Potion. I am fully expecting a perfect batch to give to Professor Slughorn. Am I wrong in assuming this will not be a problem considering your history with it?"

She could feel the blush that worked it's way into her cheeks at the obvious hinting at what had transpired during Second Year. "I... No. It will not be a problem sir."

"Good... Then by all means, _do proceed_." He sneered before gesturing to the table and stepping back.

She kept her head high but her eyes on the cauldron as she made her way over, unwilling to risk making eye contact and cause more of his foul mood to be directed at her. As she stood in front of bubbling liquid she quickly took stock on the state of the potion and the rest of the laid out inventory. There was barely a half a hour's worth of work for her to do, but it was still better than the mind numbing tedium of lines...

With a steady hand she pulled the vial of boomslang skin from the wooden rack and measured out the correct amount of flakes. She could feel, rather than see, Snape standing off to the side scrutinizing her technique. When she was finished, he did not object as she scooped the pile up. Instead the heavy feeling from his presence lifted and she heard the creak from his chair as he sat at his desk.

A smile threatened to break out at the corners of her lips but she suppressed it and poured the ingredient in. She watched as the mud-like boiling liquid engulfed the white, spreading it threw the contents of the cauldron as if it had never been there in the first place. The foreboding feeling that it was a metaphor for the darkness spreading throughout the world at that very moment had her quickly grabbing the mortar and pestle to take out her worry on the predetermined amount of bicorn horn set out on a small dish.

Exactly thirty-two minutes later she stood in front of the cauldron feeling quite satisfied with the result of her time. The bubbles that came to the top of the thick mixture inside were barely forming before popping, exactly as they should be. She pocketed her wand and walked over to the side of Snape's desk, keeping quiet as he finished going over a page of some poor student's work.

He did not acknowledge her for so long she started to wonder if she should interrupt... A terrifying thought considering his earlier mood. Thankfully his quill was set down and he turned towards her, frowning. "Yes?"

"I am finished, sir."

"Oh? Well let's go see how you did then." Snape sneered, as if he expected her to destroy all of his hard work, but she knew that couldn't be true. If he had so little faith in her abilities he never would have let her touch the potion... He stood and made his way over to the table and looked down his nose at the contents inside of the cauldron. A long moment of heavy silence filled the room. Even the scratching of Draco's quill stopped. A pair of dark eyes flicked to hers fleetingly before falling back to the potion. "Good enough Miss Granger."

Her eyebrow raised in surprise at the almost compliment... "Thank you sir?"

He whipped back to face her and narrowed his eyes at the tone in her question, sending another blush to tint her neck and cheeks. "Back to your seat Miss Granger and five points for once again showing just how discourteous Gryffindors tend to be."

She gave a curt nod before turning and hurrying to her seat. Out of the corner of her eye she saw Draco smirking down at the table and shaking his head. He covered up the reaction by scribbling a note in the margin of the essay in front of him. Her cheeks flamed even darker at the silent reprimand and she sighed in annoyance as she sat down.

"And now you can join us in correcting the woefully inept minds of the children in this school..." Snape snapped at her and sent a stack of essays to fall perfectly into a pile at her left side, quickly followed by an inkwell and quill.

Another nod was the only indication she gave that she had heard, afraid if she opened her mouth she would unintentionally lose more points for Gryffindor. She took the first essay and set it in front of her, glaring at the words that would not connect to make a coherent sentence in her mind. Her annoyance was quickly turning into anger at the jibes the Professor kept throwing her way, without a doubt trying to goad her into a response...

For a full ten minutes all she could do was stare at that first sentence uncomprehendingly and breathe as she slowly calmed down. Eventually she was able to concentrate and stared the task assigned to her. She lost herself in the ramblings of other students on the best preventive defenses to use against boggart infestations. Occasionally scratching in a critique or fixing a mistake.

The rest of the morning went by dreadfully slowly. When Snape finally signaled that they could stop she was empathizing with the man. There was no way she could ever be a teacher... She wanted to track down Ernest Brawnsworth, herself, and scream that Fire Crabs were _not_ a simple solution to "any magical plague". It was no wonder why he thought they were all a bunch of moronic idiots.

"You both may take forty-five minutes for lunch." The man sneered as a way of dismissal before resuming the work on the desk in front of him, indicating that Draco had somehow not managed to finish his much smaller stack.

Hermione did not have to be told twice. She scrambled to the door and slipped out into the hallway in a matter of seconds, intent on savoring every second of time she did not have to spend in that room. The tension radiating from the man at the front was only compounded by the fact that she could feel Draco's eyes burrowing into the back of her head at random intervals.

She rushed in the direction of the Great Hall, hoping she might catch Ginny or Harry before they headed off to the Quidditch Pitch for practice. She wanted to verify that Ginny had given him the bag that contained the Cloak and Map, along with a hastily scribbled note that said "Didn't find anything". Her desire had been to hand it over personally but he had not woken up early enough and she still did not trust Lavender to refrain from doing some stunt that involved wrecking or "losing" his belongings.

The sound of someone quickly running behind her had her automatically deviating her course so she was walking closer to the wall. A quick glance over her shoulder had her faltering for a moment before she surged on ahead. It was, of course, Draco... Who skidded to stop a few feet ahead of her and then matched her frenzied pace. "Hi..."

"What do you want? You know it isn't safe for us to speak outside of the Room of Requirement! What if..." She snapped.

"What if Potter mysteriously sees us together?" He finished for her, smirking at the way her lips smashed into a thin line. She could tell he was trying to rile her, after six years of having to deal with taunts from the boy it was easy to spot. The only difference was instead of the usual maliciousness, the words were much more playful.

Her eyes narrowed as she looked at him out of the corner of her eyes. Sure that she looked like a poor imitation of the ill-tempered Professor they had just abandoned. "Yes..."

"So what you are saying is that you will not feel comfortable, even if we are alone, outside of the Room?"

"Shouldn't you feel the same way? Considering what you are willing to risk to make sure things stay a secret?" She challenged.

He stared at the ground as they walked, keeping himself close to the other wall. Keeping a respectable distance between the two of them in case someone happened to cross their path. "What if there was an adequate excuse?"

"And what possible reason would there ever be for the two of us to be alone together Draco?"

"I do not know... But I am sure if we both put our minds to it, we could come up with _something_."

She sighed at the absurdity of his statement but stopped in the middle of the last corridor they had before the chances of students running into them became more likely. "Why?"

"No reason. I was just talking hypotheticals." He said non-committedly. Sounding rather like Fred and George had last year, right before they were going to unleash another new invention on the unsuspecting student body. He didn't stop his advancement and called over his shoulder. "See you after lunch..."

"Where are you going?" She called after him knowing it was useless as he took the left, heading down the corridor that would take him to his dormitory, instead of the right that would lead to the Great Hall.

A quickly muttered string of obscenities followed in her wake as she continued on her way. Vowing to herself that she would not worry about whatever Draco was off doing. It was a pointless endeavor that would only stress her out even more... For all she knew he was going to the bathroom.

And she had almost convinced herself of the fact by the time she joined the large raucous crowd gathered together to eat. A quick glance at the Gryffindor table gave her some relief when she saw the whole Quidditch team was gathered together. Not a completely unusual sight considering they would be heading out to practice after they were all done loading up for the rigorous physical activity required of them. She started forward but couldn't stop her eyes from quickly scanning the Slytherin table for a quick inventory...

Theodore Nott was the only other Sixth Year missing from their group...


	46. Chapter Forty-Five

The anxiety that twisted a knot in her stomach did not let up all through her break, but only intensified as the minutes ticked by and neither of the boys she kept an eye out for made an appearance. She found herself being incredibly grateful for the distraction the rest of the Quidditch team provided Ginny, Harry and even Ron. After a quick check in, where she did the whole obligatory complaints about Snape thing, she was allowed to eat and stew in relative peace.

When she entered the classroom again she was surprised to find Draco already seated and working on grading another essay. The room was eerily quiet, as if someone had cast the Muffliato charm on her instead of the specific area. She saw Snape shift in his chair and both their quills scratching away but no sounds reached her ears as she made her way back over to her previous location. It almost startled her when the legs of the chair, did in fact, scrape against the stone floor as she pulled out her chair.

She glanced at both Draco and Snape, just to double check that they were not experiencing the same impairment, before she sat and resumed her assignment. The sound of her rustling the papers forward made her almost certain that she was in some sort of invisible bubble, where she could hear everything on the inside but nothing beyond its reach. A deep breath filled her lungs as she tried to stop herself from outwardly panicking. She knew she should alert Snape and head to Pomfrey immediately... But what if he thought she was faking just to get out of her punishment?

There did not seem to be any other effects than her sudden selective hearing loss... And chances were that whatever it was would dissipate on its own given enough time. If not, she could always make the visit after her time had been served, giving the still scowling man at the front of the room no reason to add on to her almost completed sentence.

Nearly an hour and three very mediocre ramblings later she had quit checking to see if her predicament had gotten any better. If anything it made it easier for her to concentrate solely on the task at hand. The tedium she had been dreading actually helped fill the minutes that would have otherwise been devoted to agonizing over what Draco and Theo's absence at lunch could possibly mean.

So she was thoroughly engrossed in Dennis Creevey's detailed explanation on how an advanced shielding charm placed on the interior of likely places for an infestation would be sufficient, when a loud bang vibrated her ear drums. A violent confirmation that she had been correct in the dwindling effects of whatever spell had been cast on her, but she didn't have time to ruminate over the who and why of that whole situation.

Her body reacted instinctively going into fight mode at a perceived threat, long before her conscious mind could even take in any added stimuli. In the next second she was on her feet, facing the door, her hand on her wand in the pocket of her thick wrap cardigan. A spell on the tip of her tongue to deflect any incoming curse...

Filch stood in the doorway, his shoulders heaving as he struggled to catch his breath, no doubt from running all the way from whatever had caused the explosion. His eyes widen at her reaction to his appearance but he ignored her as he made his way up the aisle to whisper something to Snape. Hermione's heartbeat thundered against her ribs as her knees threatened to buckle out from underneath her from relief. She quickly sat back down in the chair at her side, afraid that if she didn't she would end up on the floor.

The two men at the front of the room started to raise their voices above hushed whispers and she struggled to hear them over the hammering in her chest. She was able to catch the words "Peeves", "Dozens" and "Dungbombs" and was able to guess what was causing the Caretaker such distress. Her hand shook from the sudden burst of useless adrenaline as she pretended to go back to the sentence she had been reading.

"He is lobbing them at students Severus! You need to do something..."

"I still do not see how that is _my_ problem. As you can see I am quite busy."

"You know we are short staffed today. Flitwick is busy with the Choir. McGonagall was called down to Hogsmeade to discuss the business of the upcoming visit. Burbage is busy dealing with an outraged parent over Floo. Trelawney, well she is in no shape to be helping anyone, you can be sure of that. The Bloody Baron is nowhere to be found..." The shorter man explained, much to the chagrin of the taller one. He glanced out the corner of his eye at her and lowered his voice back to the whispered frenzy that she could barely make out. "And the others are out near the Pitch... If we do not get him under control the Great Hall will be unusable for dinner tonight."

Snape shook his head, his long dark locks falling into his face before he sighed. "Very well. I will be there shortly."

Filch nodded his understanding and quickly fled the room, presumably off to taunt the poltergeist that he had found someone to come and deal with him. Their Professor stayed sitting, glaring at the top of his desk. The look on his face showed his deep seated desire to be anywhere but there. For the second time that day she felt empathy for him flare up inside of her. As if he could feel her studying him, his eyes flicked up and caught her nervous stare, while his own reflected anger at her witnessing his moment of perceived weakness.

Snape glared at her for a long stretch of time before clearing his throat and speaking. "I have things to do elsewhere. Miss Granger, as unlikely as it is, if you finish your stack before I return- you can start cleaning the cushions in the corner of the blood and sweat of this week's grimy ineptitude. No magic... And Mr. Malfoy, you can leave when you are done. I have faith, no matter how misplaced, that the two of you will be able to act like adults long enough that when I return, my classroom will not be destroyed by petty squabbling."

They echoed each other with their simple "Yes sir"s. The man's eyes went between her and Draco multiple times, searching both their faces for any signs of lying. Eventually he must have decided that helping Filch was more important than making sure she and Draco didn't maim or kill each other because he rushed up the aisle, his robes billowing out behind him. Only stopping for a moment to mutter something in the boy's ear. She peeked over her shoulder and saw the flash of mutual animosity exchanged before the older man continued out of the room.

Once she was convinced their Professor was not going to return she turned so she could look at Draco and raised an eyebrow. "What did he say to you?"

"I am supposed to 'Leave the girl alone'. But the question is... Do you want me to?" His hypnotizing gray orbs swam with an entertainment she did not quite understand, regardless they held her mesmerized for a second before she shook her head and returned his playful smirk. He leaned forward, pretending that he did not know how she would answer.

"Very funny..."

"I know. I am hilarious."

She huffed and shifted herself back in front of Dennis' essay, intent on getting everything done so that the long day could finally be behind her.

"You do know that it is rude to ignore someone who has gallantly provided you with a believable excuse to spend time with them, correct?"

Her eyes widened in surprise as her shock had her turning back to face him. "Wait... You provided Peeves with 'over a dozen' dungbombs? What about Theo?!"

"Yes... Yes I did." He drawled slowly, annunciating each word carefully. "And what about Theo?"

"Well... I thought... After you both didn't show up at lunch... That... You know..."

"That I would erase his memory in the middle of a Sunday afternoon, with people filing in and out of our dorm and common room all day?"

When he put it like that she felt rather foolish for even entertaining the idea. "Uhhh... Yes?"

His eyes narrowed for a moment at the admission but he shrugged and turned his attention to the gray skies outside the window. "You do not give me much credit, Kitten... Of course I wouldn't be that dimwitted. That was easily taken care of last night, with enough time left over for his complete recuperation before the castle started stirring. I told you to trust me..."

She shook her head at the confirmation she had been dreading. While she understood the twisted necessity for the act, all of them were safer without him knowing, the fact that he could sit there as if he was discussing the weather chilled her. "I don't understand... How did you pull that off at two o'clock in the morning?"

"I woke him and told him I needed his help with something..." His jaw clenched as the memory must have played in his head, the only indicator that he was actually affected by the choice. Again his shoulders lifted with a shrug as his gazed stayed on the window. "He followed me into a broom closet, close to our common room, asked what I needed and I was honest with him. Easier to get to the memories if he is already thinking of them, you see. And... And I erased anything to do with the note and you, brought him back to his bed and he slept it off. Quite simple."

"Simple... _Right_..." She murmured, her own mind conjuring up dark images to match his words. All of them featuring a hard-masked Draco enjoying toying with his friend. She hated the way her stomach twisted in revulsion so she quickly changed the subject. "So... You managed to convince Peeves to cause a distraction, not to mention breaking about ten rules in the process, to spend all of twenty minutes alone with me?"

That caused a smile to break across his face and his eyes to find her again. "Who says I had to do any convincing? Or that it will only be twenty minutes? As for all that rubbish about breaking rules... Only half as many that you and your friends break at any given opportunity, so please do spare me the lecture."

"Th... That... I wasn't going to lecture you!" She said dismissively.

"Mmmm... For some reason I highly doubt that."

"Why don't you get back to finishing your assignment Draco? Instead of trying to guess what I might or might not be planning to do..." She snapped before turning back around, effectively cutting off the conversation.

"Nag..."

The teasing tone of his jab was the only thing that stopped her from hexing him on the spot, instead all she did was smirk and respond in kind. "Asshole..."

His answering laugh warmed the ice that had built up inside of her from his earlier nonchalance. She couldn't help but chuckle under her breath before going back to the same paper for what felt like the hundredth time. It almost surprised her when she found herself at the end without being interrupted again.

Just when she was about to look behind her to see if Draco was following her suggestion, one of his arms wrapped around her from behind and the other slipped the quill from between her fingers, returning it to the inkwell. The hand then came up and brushed her hair from her shoulders before he leaned in and whispered in her ear. "Do you want to waste the time we have together reading asinine children trying to pretend to know what they are talking about?"

"I... Well... Not particularly, but I also have much more to get done then..." His lips on her neck caused her mind to instantly be distracted by the overwhelming want that started to boil in her veins.

"Good..." He murmured into her skin before his free hand slipped down the front of her sweater. Sliding over the swells and dips of her curves to where the belt rested around her waist, holding the fabric closed, and started to work the knotted material apart.

A soft sigh fell from her own lips involuntarily as she bared her neck for him. Lost in the feelings of need that flared each time he found one of the sensitive bits of skin on his way up to the shell of her earlobe, she didn't even notice when he got the knot undone. Very slowly her white tee was inched up to gather around her middle...

The sudden freezing chill that hit when her skin was finally exposed to his questing hands was enough to break through the haze and she jerked away as what he wanted became crystal clear. She quickly pulled the shirt back into place before sliding out of the chair and moving so she could lean against the table. Giving her the space she needed between them so she could think.

His eyebrows came together in confusion as he placed his hands on the back of the chair she had just vacated. He didn't say anything, letting the silence stretch out, as he stared over at her.

"I'm... I'm sorry. I don't feel comfortable doing this... _Here_." She told him truthfully. The thought of Snape returning and seeing them in an intimate embrace caused her checks to flame scarlet.

"Don't apologize for telling me the truth." He snapped before taking a deep breath and continuing in a much more moderated tone. "What I meant to say was... Thank you for telling me the truth. I do not suppose there is any chance I could convince you to sneak off somewhere you would feel more comfortable would there?"

"Ahhhh... _No_." She said smirking over at him out of the corner of her eye. "Thank you for understanding..."

Once again he shrugged as if it was a simple thing. "I told you to tell me if anything I did made you feel uncomfortable. I am not going to pressure you to do something you do not want to. I might be a... How did you put it? Oh yes, asshole... But _that_ is a line I do not ever wish to cross."

She didn't know what to say so she gave a quick nod, keeping her eyes on the table across from her so he wouldn't see the relief that washed over her at his words. There was no doubt in her mind that he would misinterpret the feeling as her thinking him capable of something so heinous. When that was the furthest thing from the truth... Every time that he reinforced the belief she had in this deeper Draco, she felt like all the lies and manipulation would be worth it. In the end...

A disgusted snort at her silence had him continuing, his voice chilling her much more than earlier. "It's true, whether you want to believe it or not. I can see why you would wonder if I am capable of that... Considering my past crimes."

"I know that you are capable of choosing evil, Draco." She said slowly, searching for each word before she said it. Her eyes automatically finding the spot on his arm, buried underneath layers of clothing. "But... I wouldn't be here with you if I didn't trust you not to hurt me."

He snorted again and when her eyes finally traveled up to meet his, they were glaring at the ground. She stepped away from the table so she was directly in his line of sight and unable to look away. "I mean it."

"Really? I don't scare you?"

" _Yes_... Everything about you scares me, but not for the reasons you think."

His hand wrapped around her waist and pulled her against his chest in a tight hug that only lasted a second. When she looked up at him confused, he gave her a peck on the lips before pulling away and putting a few feet of space between them. "Wouldn't want Potter's cryptic powers to start working and him to catch us in such a compromising situation, right?"

"He should be busy with Quidditch Practice at the moment... I would be more worried about Snape or another Professor coming to check that neither one of us has disfigured the other..." Hermione said off-handedly, as if the possibility was ludicrous.

"True..." He inclined his head in acknowledgment of her reasoning.

Another long stretch of silence settled between them. This time it was much more comfortable as they both used the time to stare at the other and take a personal inventory. Or at least that is what she did. She could never be one hundred percent certain what was going on in his head. Eventually her mind drifted back to her assignments and she sighed softly. "I should get back to grading if I want to get done with everything Snape wants me to do before midnight... I am sure once he comes back there will be a million other things for me to do..."

"Awww! Poor Miss Granger, having to do her time... Just like the rest of us." Draco smirked down at her.

"Maybe I should tell Snape or Filch about how you like to get poltergeists to do your dirty work? You know... That way you can do your time, just like the rest of us." She teased back.

"If we could be left alone for the night it just might be worth it..."

She laughed at that. Though she could not argue that there was a certain appeal to breaking rules if it meant a few more stolen minutes for them. "I highly doubt that."

"You would... There probably isn't much that would be worth another detention on your record, right?" He razzed with a raised eyebrow.

"And you would be surprised what I would sit another detention for... Unfortunately you will not be finding out anytime soon. Only so many seconds in a day, after all." She said, glaring over at the still large stack of papers she had to go through.

He shook his head but didn't contradict her this time. "Once again your wisdom astounds me, Kitten."

"Why thank you." She said with a roll of her eyes and a mocking curtsey before she sat back down in her chair. Ready to get on with it...

The attention she would have liked to go to the words on the page was diverted by the distinct feeling of him staring at the back of her head. It wasn't exactly uncomfortable but distracting enough that no matter how hard she tried to concentrate she could feel it. She quickly gave up with an exasperated sigh and looked over her shoulder at him.

He had been so lost in his thoughts that her sudden movement startled him and he quickly stood up straight. Showing off that perfect posture. He hesitated for a moment before blurting out. "What would you say if I asked for redo of the other night?"

"Uhhhh... What?" She asked, completely thrown for a loop by the odd request.

"What. Would. You. Say. To. A. Date. With. Me?" He reiterated. This time taking a page out her own playbook, though she did tend to use the tactic more when she was angry than... Teasing? Annoyed? She couldn't tell through the nervous way his eyes scanned her reaction.

"A _date_? With _you_? Where to The Three Broomsticks?" She found herself asking incredulously.

"Well... No. Not The Three Broomsticks, obviously. You've seen what can happen when I set my mind to something, so you shouldn't be doubting my abilities to pull it off. If you accept that is..."

Hermione sat there with what surely could only been described as a dumbfounded look on her face. That was exactly how she felt... Dumbfounded. Was he just messing with her? That had to be it... She had never gone on a real date before. Not even with Victor, unless you counted the Yule Ball, which she didn't considering how public every second was. They hadn't even kissed for the first time afterwards like many suspected. That was two weeks later... In the library...

She blinked back into the moment and realized she still hadn't answered him. And she didn't know what she should do... There was an added pressure to accepting a "date". Just the use of the word made things feel more official than anything else had.

Was she ready to cross that invisible line as well?...


	47. Chapter Forty-Six

"I am not asking for your hand in marriage Granger. It will not be able to be anything too fancy, considering I am confined to one room in this whole castle... But it could be fun to change things up a bit. At least pretend that we are normal." Draco explained uneasily, the poorly disguised panic made the candlelight dance in his eyes.

"O...Okay." She found herself saying, more to ease his fears than out of any real decision making on her part.

"You didn't sound very sure. I am surprised you are having issues deciding. A date is not nearly as... intimate as what we have already done. Regardless, you can say no." Her half hearted answer had, of course, done nothing to appease him... It seemed to only make his agitation worse resulting in his hands starting to shake, a subconscious movement he tried to cover up by rolling them at the wrist.

"I know... It's just bizarre to hear you ask me. I never would have thought that you would be the one to be checking off my list of firsts like you are."

He scoffed in disbelief and started tallying on his fingers. "Krum. McLaggen. I am sure the Weasel has offered..."

"Uhhh... If you consider having a hundred sets of eyes on you the whole night a 'date', I guess Viktor would classify. Cormac McLaggen was the farthest thing from an enjoyable evening as I have already explained to you." She made sure she had his full attention before continuing to blather out the truth. "And Ron has never shown an interest until very recently... Which he found out was a very stupid move on his part for many reasons that I do not feel the need to dissect with you. Suffice it to say I have never been on anything remotely in the realm of a romantic date, much less one meant to be a celebration of Valentine's Day..."

In response his head turned toward the window he had given his attention to earlier. He crossed his arms as he worked over her little rant, trying to decide if he believed her words to be authentic or not. What couldn't have been more than thirty seconds felt like forever but he did end up turning back towards her with that cocky smirk playing at the corners of his lips. "I guess we will have to change that."

"I guess so..."

He shook his head at her before sighing. "I really should let you get back to your punishment."

"Ughh... Yes, you really should." She groaned, glancing over at the stack of the approximately thirty-five more essays she still needed to read and correct.

His laugh reached her ears and pulled her eyes back over to him like a magnet. "Poor Kitten... At least now I know to wake you up before leaving. Live and learn..."

"Just _go_ Draco..." She glared over at him, contemplating again on telling Snape about who was responsible for the dungbombs as revenge. "Before I end up going back on my word not to cause damage to Professor Snape's classroom by hexing the ever loving piss out of you..."

"I'd love to see you try..." He taunted, the obviously empty threat on his part was enough to cause a spark of danger to be added to the kaleidoscope of emotions swirling in the depths of his gaze. "Unfortunately I am a busy man and I do have places to be. Let me know the night that would work best for you."

As soon as the last words were out of his mouth he leaned over and placed a quick kiss to her temple and then stalked from the room. Leaving her to sit there with her goodbye still stuck on her lips in the deafening silence that was left behind. It unnerved her to be the only one that was left in the classroom. The feeling was much more intense than it would have been if she was alone in any other teacher's space.

She quickly continued her work with a deliberate concentration, an easy distraction so she didn't scare herself silly. An intentional act that allowed her to pass by most of the afternoon. Other than when she would stop and wonder where Snape was... Or just how many dungbombs Draco had given Peeves for him to still be occupied elsewhere...

It was close to dinnertime before the door opened again, ending what had started to feel like a long sentence of exile. The man whose appearance she had simultaneously been dreading and eagerly awaiting stepped inside. He took stock of the room and found her in the corner lifting the third to last cushion on to the large pile of clean ones. His lip turned up in his trademark sneer. "I had such high hopes that you would have scurried off to find one of your hassle inducing friends by now, Miss Granger."

Hermione stood up to her full height and ran the back of her hand along her cheek, trying to push aside some stray curls that had fallen and stuck there. Tired she didn't stop her irritability from coloring her tone. "I apologize for disappointing you. I will be done shortly, sir."

"Always such rancor from you Gryffindors." Snape said with a roll of his narrowed eyes. "By all means... Finish and _get out_."

She inclined her head in acknowledgement of his request before returning to her work of wiping down of the last two cushions. Her thoughts shifted to heading down to a well deserved meal as she heard the man behind her make his way to his desk and sit down. Purposefully she kept her head down and didn't let her gaze wander, no longer willing to chance any more of the Professor's wrath when she was so close to escape.

When she was finally done she placed the last cushion on the cleaned pile while the corner of her mouth twitched with a smile. Pride at the fact she had accomplished getting all of the set-in blood stains out of the fabric, especially without the use of magic, filled her up. Her parents' chosen profession had come with a lot of unsavory stains, ranging from sweat and tears to vomit and blood, and with it the necessity to learning tricks to ridding their clothing of the various bodily fluids every night. Something Snape must not have thought through when tasking her with what was surely supposed to be a much harder undertaking.

Her sentence done she turned and headed for the door just when her hand was about to clasp around the knob Snape's voice rang out from behind her. "I have a question for you, Miss Granger, before you go."

She had to suppress a sigh but looked over her shoulder at the man, trying to keep her impatience from showing on her face. "Yes sir?"

"If you could come over here so that we do not have to shout that would be most courteous..." It looked as if he was trying as hard as she was to not allow the annoyance to manifest on his features.

With trepidation she slowly moved away from the passageway to her freedom and walked down the aisle between the tables. Somewhere in the back of her mind she noted that the stacks of essays, inkwells and quills had disappeared while she had been preoccupied. Eventually she found herself standing in the exact same spot she had stood that morning, waiting for Snape to find some fault with the Polyjuice potion.

The man sat there staring at her. Even though he was sitting and she stood over him, she had the distinct feeling that he was still looking down on her. He did not start right away, letting the heavy silence stretch out between them as he studied her. Just when she felt like she was going to scream under the weight of her ramped up anxiety he opened his mouth and asked her an unexpected question. "Did Mr. Malfoy say anything to you while I was gone?"

She raised an eyebrow in shock but tried to keep the rest of her face neutral. "No sir. We... don't exactly have a cordial friendship or anything..."

"Of course not and that is why I am asking. He did not attack you verbally or... Or in any other way?"

Her words felt like sandpaper leaving her lips and she wished she could have a sip of water. "No sir... We did not speak. He finished grading his essays and left."

"I do not believe you Miss Granger." He said simply, letting the weight of his pronouncement settle on her shoulders.

"Honestly sir..." And then she made the mistake of meeting his gaze. As soon as her eyes connected with his she felt an unfamiliar pressure in her head... Not quite a headache but not pleasant either. Before she was able to give it another thought she was suddenly pushed into a replay of what happened earlier...

 _"What did he say to you?"_

 _Draco sat at the back of the room smirking at her. "I am supposed to 'Leave the girl alone". But the question is... Do you want me to?"_

 _"Very funny..." She replied sarcastically, returning his smirk._

 _"I know. I am hilarious" He countered, leaning towards her over the table in front of him._

Just as abruptly as she was thrust into the memory she was back in the classroom. Her knees weak as she panted against the unforeseen invasion. It was nothing like the vicious assault Harry had described... This was as if a snake was slithering around inside of her head, poking at her most private self without any resistance whatsoever. Before she could formulate a plan to try and block him she was propelled back under...

 _Draco still sat at the table behind her, her favorite smile spread across his lips as he accused. "As for all that rubbish about breaking rules... Only half as many that you and your friends break at any given opportunity, so please do spare me the lecture."_

 _"Th... That... I wasn't going to lecture you!" She sputtered._

 _"Mmmm... For some reason I highly doubt that." He challenged._

 _"Why don't you get back to finishing your assignment Draco? Instead of trying to guess what I might or might not be planning to do..." She snapped and turned away from him._

 _"Nag..."_

 _The playful dig reached her ears and she teased back. "Asshole..._ "

Her heart started to race in her chest as the stolen moment she wasn't willing to share drew closer and closer. Her eyes worked over the words of Dennis Creevey's last paragraphs and when she got to the end she panicked... She fought to throw her hands up and scream instead of letting his arms find her...

And everything went black...

When she came to reality she was clutching so hard to the side of Snape's desk to keep herself upright that her knuckles had turned white. Her lungs burned from panting as if she had just run a marathon. Tears stung her eyes as she raised them high enough to stare at his shoulder before she hissed. "How dare you..."

"How dare _I?_ How dare you! You idiotic little girl! You have no idea the amount of fire you are playing with..." His furious tone had her dreams coming to life in one terrifying moment.

"I know perfectly well..."

"A CHILD PLAYING CHILDISH GAMES!" He bellowed. Pushing the chair a few inches back as he stood up so he was the one towering over her. "Typical Gryffindor to the core. Trying to play the hero... Get the information from him so you can be the saviour of the day. Does Potter know your plans? Is he in on it too?"

Once again she found herself so shocked that she defied all reason and looked up into the man's face. And was confused to find him not only angry but also genuinely frightened. His fear was palatable... Freezing her from the inside out in such a way that his fury never could have. This was a man who lived his life tip toeing between the good and evil found within their world. If anyone knew exactly what they would be up against it was him...

He took a step forward so she was forced to let go of the desk so he wasn't able to get too close. He leaned down and hissed. "Answer me."

"I... I... Oh Gods... I'm not trying to be a hero! I am much too selfish for that. Harry doesn't know anything. No one does. I... We... We never meant for _any_ of it to happen... At least I don't think so... It just... And now..." She stopped being able to breath and her knees finally gave out from under her as trembling sobs over took her.

It was Snape's turn to look shocked as he stood over her defeated form, crumpled on his classroom floor. A distraught mess of emotions with secrets he could have never imagined finding. He shook his head and glared down at her as he sat back down in his chair. " _Get up_."

Hermione slowly made her way back to her feet and wiped her face on her sweater, which did little to stop the flow of tears. Though she was able to swallow down her sobs so that she stood there crying in silence, waiting for the man to continue to berate her for her choices. Would he call Draco down before or after getting McGonagall involved?

"The only thing that I wished entering this school year was to keep Mr. Malfoy alive. Why must he, and now you, do everything your powers to stop me from fulfilling said desire?"

"I want the same thing Professor. I swear. We were stupid... Or at least I was. I don't know about Draco. He probably knew exactly what he was risking... But I didn't... Not until it was too late. And now I care much more than I should. I just... I just want us both survive this..."

"Then tell me what he has told you about his plans Miss Granger. Tell me and then leave him alone. Do whatever you have to do to end this thing between the two of you..."

She looked down at the ground and shook her head. "I can't do that sir. I... I told you, I care about him too much..."

Snape sneered at her and she could see the clear thought of her being an idiot flash in his dark eyes before he responded to her stammering. "Trust me, I need to know what he is up to so I can _help_ him. It is imperative for you to tell me everything he has told you."

"I am sorry I did not clarify sir, but what I cannot do is end it with Draco." She explained quickly, staring at the ground as the blush she hated tinted her cheeks. A sigh lifted her shoulders before she continued. "As for his plans... He hasn't told me anything of worth. I am not just saying that either... We have very clear boundaries set in place. That is one of the things we do not speak about."

The rhythmic tapping as his fingers started drumming against the desk while he sat there and seemed to digest her words. His jaw clenched and unclenched as if he was literally chewing at them as he meticulously thought out how he would respond. Another awkward silence seemed to stretch out for an eternity that didn't affect him. He finally looked up at her and pierced her with a stare that she sometimes saw on a passing older wizard or witch's face now. The one that told her they pitied her future...

"Since you will not take the best of my advice, I am hesitant to give you any more, but I will try to break through that stubbornness yet again. If you persist in this quest to destroy both of your lives you must do what your famous friend refuses to do. Protect your mind... Or you will never stand a chance at protecting anyone in the war that is coming. Do you understand?"

"Yes sir..."

"I am sure you have heard everything I have to say on the subject from Mr. Potter. So thankfully my services will not be needed there... I hope you do survive Miss Granger. Unfortunately Muggleborns have nasty habit dying... " For a second she could have sworn she saw a wave a pain she could never guess to understand flash across his face and then the hard sneering man she was used was sitting there. Just as predictably the next words out of his mouth were a threat. "Let's keep what has happened here tonight between the two of us. There is no reason for things to reach the ears of people they do not need to be reaching... You can run along to get into whatever trouble it is that you have devised with Potter and Weasley next."

Without saying another word she turned and fled from the room. Instead of going down to a later than usual dinner she headed the other way... Up towards Gryffindor Tower, where she could climb into bed and think about the meaning of the last few minutes.

There had to be something she was missing in what had just transpired.

Because in that moment all that her mind could keep circling back to was: Severus Snape had just verified it...

Draco Malfoy was going to end up being the death of her.

And she still couldn't find it in herself to regret the choice of being with him...

 **-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-\?/-**

 _Well then... So much happened in this chapter I do not even know where to start!_

 _What do you think Draco is going to pull out for this little date of theirs? Is Hermione going to tell him about the conversation with Snape? What about all the stuff Snape said... Will it end up getting to her when she is in the safety of her bed?_

 _Let me know down below!_

 _Also, I have decided this is going to become a series! When I started this story I only had the first ten or so chapters mapped out in my head. I did not think we would be over Chapter Forty-Five and just be getting to Ron's Birthday, lol. So for the sake of not ending up with five hundred chapters I am going to end this title at the end of Halfblood Prince and then continue on with a sequel... We might even end with a trilogy (or more) on our hands!_

 _Once again I find myself so thankful for having such amazing readers. Each and every single one of you are awesome and it makes smile to see so many of you enjoying! I hope your day is going wonderfully!_

 _As Always..._

 _Much love,_  
 _SlytherclawLuv_


	48. Chapter Forty-Seven

Over the next few days Hermione kept to herself, using every available second that wasn't already dedicated to keeping up with her assignments to obsessively go over Snape's "advice". She debated on going to McGonagall and filing a formal complaint for his use of Legilimency against her but knew it would stay an unvoiced threat. The fact that there was no way for her to reveal his abuse of power without outing her and Draco's relationship enraged her.

There were specific rules that should never be broken as a teacher and the man had wavered on the line before. Sometimes jumping right over when it came to bullying his students... But this... This was grounds for immediate termination according to Decree 3824: Section B, a ruling passed down by the Board of Governors in 1915. Considering she knew of twice in the last six months that the Professor had decided to use the practice against minors, herself and when Harry had overheard his attempt on Draco, it would have been an easy decision for the overseers of the school. Ending with the obvious culmination that every student seemed to secretly wish for... No more Snape at Hogwarts.

The only time she allowed herself to dwell on her impending rendezvous was when she laid down each night. It was then, in the dark that was normally feared, that she felt safe enough to break down the walls she worked so hard to create each morning. Filling her head with random facts from her textbooks and whatever idle gossip she could scrounge up in the common room or halls before breakfast. Anything other than gray eyes and his lips on her skin... Afraid that if she didn't, she would slip at a wrong moment and give Snape even more ammunition.

A plan that was becoming harder and harder to follow through with. While Draco didn't reach out to her again, not even in a hastily scribbled note, he had found a tactic that was much more disconcerting... Every time she seemed to turn around he was there. It did not matter where... The Library. Leaving class. Meals. The Courtyard. Even the random corridor she had been reduced to trying to study in after the common room proved crowded with Lavender and Ron cuddled in front of the fire. All had ended up invaded by Draco and his cronies shortly after her arrival.

By Thursday morning she knew she had to respond before her inaction made him think she was avoiding him again. Which she kind of was if she was honest with herself. Or more like avoiding the creation of any more memories she would need to guard with a lock and key... She knew it was an illogical response to the stress of everything since making such a mess of her life. So she bucked it up and braved the chilled dawn to once again find her favorite school owl to deliver the simple date and time written on a spare bit of parchment on the bottom of her bag. She counted on the familiarity of the owl and her handwriting being enough of a clue to the sender and headed down for another early breakfast.

 **-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-**

The following week went by in a blur of classes, meals, homework and Prefect duties. Draco had needed to decline her offer to meet the prior Sunday during Quidditch practice for the Gryffindors. She had wanted to feel disappointment at the postponement but was only grateful... It gave her more time to reason out that telling him about what had happened was in neither of their best interests.

The last thing she needed was for him to impulsively think up some grand plan that involved attempting to Obliviate one of their most formidable Professors...

And then there was always the worry of another intrusion into her mind by said Professor. A worry that had admittedly waned enough for her to be able to walk into her Defense Against the Dark Arts class without her hands shaking. Both from the amount of time that had passed since and a building of confidence in the combination of her morning ritual and her added efforts to start recalling random mundane memories at will. While she could not be positive without testing the theory, she was hopeful she would have the chance to make it to her wand should there ever be a next time.

It went without saying that when she sat down for dinner on Wednesday night she was preoccupied with not thinking about her "date" later that night and all that it entailed. Not the hardest of tasks given she was stuck in the middle of a huge group of revolving Gryffindors that crowded around Harry. Everyone was starting to get excited over the next Quidditch game that was to take place in two weeks time. Bets were already being placed and loads of students wanted reassurance that the Great Harry Potter would lead them to victory.

As she was about to dig into her plate of food the Fourth Year she had been forced to take the open seat next to left and Neville slid down the bench to occupy the empty space. He used the clamorous symphony of voices to cover a whispered warning in her ear. "Snape is glaring at you..."

" _Oh?_ " She kept her stare on the bite of mashed potatoes on her fork, fighting with herself to not turn around and look.

He nodded and glanced back over his shoulder before continuing in a hushed voice. "Yes."

"I wonder why that is..." She pretended to give it some thought before shrugging and taking her bite.

"You are lucky looks can't kill Hermione..."

Her curiosity won and she quickly peeked over her own shoulder at the staff table. Sure enough, Snape sat in his normal seat, glaring at her as if he wanted to start her on fire. Instead of running away screaming like her instincts told her to she narrowed her eyes and returned the furious look. Their gazes remained locked in a battle of wills, both refusing to be the first to budge. She felt an odd sense of satisfaction when Professor Flitwick interrupted causing Snape to be distracted and look away. With a triumphant smile on her face she turned back to her meal.

"How... How do you and Harry do that?" Neville asked in amazement.

"What do you mean?"

"You stand up to him... It's like his intimidation doesn't work on you." He said almost reverently.

Her lips softened into a genuine smile as she looked over at her first friend at Hogwarts. "I cannot speak for Harry but... For me? It does work. The sound of his disapproving snarl sends shivers down my spine the same as everyone else, but if I let _him_ see that it would be a thousand times worse. Just like with Malfoy or Parkinson, Neville. He is a bully... One who does have the power to fail you if he wants, but a bully all the same."

"I can't even stand up to Malfoy correctly... How am I supposed to be brave enough to stand up to him?" The boy asked, staring down at his own plate of food.

"You are much more courageous than you give yourself credit for. You've faced down boggarts and Death Eaters... You go to a class with a Professor that has threatened or berated you almost every day of your academic career. You have even told Harry-freakin'-Potter and his friends that you would do whatever it took to stop them from losing our House more points. And do you remember what Dumbledore said about that?" When he didn't answer she bumped him with her shoulder and continued on. "He said, 'It takes a great deal of bravery to stand up to our enemies, but just as much to stand up to our friends'. You, Neville Longbottom, are one of the _bravest_ people I know."

The corners of his lips started to lift with the beginnings of a return smile for her. "Well I will never be like you... Or Harry... Or Ron..."

"True, but I personally think that is fantastic news. Could you really imagine a world with two Hermione Grangers or Harry Potters? Besides... I quite like having a world with one Neville in it." She responded before taking another bite.

"I quite agree..." Came a dreamy voice from behind them. "A world without Neville would be odd and immensely boring."

She looked back at the girl and nodded. "Right you are! Would you like to join us?"

"Oh no, that is alright. I actually came over to see if Ginny still needed some help with her Care of Magical Creatures assignment from Hagrid." Said Luna, who reached up and tucked a lock of pale blonde hair back into place as her gaze drifted over to the redhead who looked to be in another bickering match with Dean. "But now does not seem like the right time..."

"Erm... No... No it doesn't." She confirmed with a sigh.

Neville snorted at her side and looked even more shocked at the outburst than she did. Quickly trying to cover his tracks he stammered out. "N..Nope... Not the right time at all. I'd wait until tomorrow if I were you Luna."

"Thank you for the advice Neville. I am unfortunately forced to agree considering the circumstances. How long do you think they have before she finally has enough and ends things?" The girl asked bluntly. Cutting to the truth of what all three of them must be thinking in that unwavering way of hers.

"The way she looks right now I would be surprised if they make it through the night." Neville said as he shook his head and Ginny's face started to turn a dangerous shade of pink with white splotches.

"Mmmmm..." Luna hummed in agreement, going up onto the tips of her toes to get a better look at what was heading in the direction of an all out fight between the pair.

Hermione smiled and sighed again. "No... She isn't ready yet. They might row but they will make up. I give it another month. Maybe two... If he shapes up and quits treating her like a... Well like a Lady."

As if on cue Ginny stood up, gave an exasperated roll of her eyes and stomped out of the room. Leaving a bewildered looking Dean to scrambled after her and an insulted looking Seamus who had been interrupted from trying to diffuse the situation to sit there. She gave a soft chuckle before using the opportunity to sneak a bite.

"Do you think he will though?" Luna asked tranquilly as she followed the procession with a keen eye.

"No... Dean is a gentleman through and through. That would be like asking Ginny not to play Quidditch." Neville answered for her.

The blonde clasped her hands together at her waist and turned back to them. "I suppose we will find out. It is time for me to leave... Remember to watch out for Corbrealias. This is the time of year that they like to try and attack after all."

Before she could even ask what a "Corbrealias" was Luna had vanished into the steady line of students starting to head off to their respective evening activities. She gave Neville a questioning look which he returned, indicating he was just as lost to what it could possibly be as she was. They both fell into an easy silence and finished up their meals together.

He even decided to walk with her up to the common room and thanked her for the kind words from earlier as they parted. She was surprised when she felt the sudden pull to stay there and do something completely normal with him. It had been so long since she had the chance to hang out with an old friend with no baggage hanging over their heads... Ron and her were still not speaking unless absolutely necessary, which led to the inevitable tenseness with Harry. Ginny was becoming more and more distracted by the issues with Dean. And when she wasn't their time together was spent with her covertly trying to get more information to sleuth out who Hermione was sneaking away to meet.

The feeling quickly passed when the image of Draco waiting for her popped into her head. As much as she looked forward to seeing him, the curiosity on what he had planned for them would have been enough to sway her decision to go... As she made her way up to her dorm room she made the mental mark to ask Neville to go for a walk Saturday before Apparition Lessons.

With her nostalgic guilt appeased her thoughts centered on her next immediate concern...

Just what in the heck was she going to wear?!


	49. Chapter Forty-Eight

_Author's Note: This chapter is dedicated to ACupples. Thank you so much for your kind words and all of the help that you have given! It is definitely appreciated!_

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Nervousness threatened to keep her frozen in place on the wrong side of the wall. She knew that if she didn't conjure the door she would end up getting caught but she could not make her legs follow her commands for movement. No matter how many times she mentally counted to ten and tried to take the first step, she remained there. Completely immobile. Staring across the hall at the place the door would appear.

Well... If she ever got up the courage to call for it...

As Hermione stood there, her mind continuing to wrestle for control over her body, it struck her as odd that there was no sharp edge of hysteria that signaled a panic attack. There was no hammering heartbeat in her ears or vice-like grip around her throat making it hard to breathe. The only other outward sign of her internal dilemma, besides her stubbornly uncooperative legs, was the slight tremor in her hands and the sweat that was collecting on her palms.

This left little doubt that what she was experiencing was actually refreshingly normal-much like the jitters she had while waiting for the results of an exam. Yes, this was a completely acceptable biological response to an academically (or in this case, socially) challenging and stressful situation. The realization of the sheer normalcy of her situation caused unexpected relief to flow through her veins. It had been a long time since she felt like she could face something this important without feeling like the weight of her anxiety would crush her.

The small burst of confidence from this thought was enough to finally relax the tight rigidity that held her captive. She realized she had subconsciously been waiting for the moment that she would fall apart, and hadn't wanted Draco to see her blubbering and hyperventilating over something he wouldn't understand. The irony of her anxiously waiting for her anxiety to take was not lost on her. She shook her head and smiled at her own absurdity as her legs finally started along the familiar path.

I need the door to Draco Malfoy's room. I need the door to Draco Malfoy's room. I need the door to Draco Malfoy's room.

When the door appeared for her, the smile spread fully across her face. Grateful that she was no longer banned from entry like the last time, she rushed forward and closed the door quickly behind her.

Her gaze worked from one far corner of the room to the other she saw that she was alone. The door to the loo stood open, squashing any hope that he may just be running late getting ready. Nothing had been done to change the room in any way, like her imagination had dreamt up. There wasn't even a note for her to wait for him...

Slowly her hand fell from the door knob and she made her way over the couch and sat down, clinging to the chance that he was held up somewhere and would be there soon. She carefully inspected the room once again from where she sat, double checking that she had not missed anything on her initial sweep. Absolutely nothing had been moved since the morning she had woken up late-other than the bed was now made. Even her CD player was still sitting in the exact spot she had deserted it.

 _Or was it?_

Hermione looked intently at her stereo, eyes narrowing in concentration. A whispering voice nagged at her that maybe there was something amiss from when she had last been there, she just could not put her finger on what it was. Ginny's purse, which she had borrowed to tote the CDs to the room, laid off to the side right where she had set it down. The small binder that had held the CDs was discarded a few inches away, the zippered teeth holding the fabric... closed?

She distinctly remembered setting it aside open, the empty plastic sleeves fanning out before the uneven weight had snapped the front of the binder back down into place at a slightly skewed angle. The thought that Draco must have closed it had her up on her feet to check that he hadn't tried to pack up her things and accidently wrecked the somewhat fragile discs in the attempt.

As soon as her fingers lifted the small little book up from the floor she could tell there were more CDs there than there had been previously. Had he gone through her collection and added CDs to her little carrying case?

Her fingers found the zipper and slowly inching it open to sate her curiosity. She flipped the top open and started scanning through the now full binder. Every single plastic sleeve was now occupied by a colorful disc, meaning he had taken the time to select and move them from the purse into the small traveling case. She tried to work out why he had made the choices he did, but she couldn't find any connection between the twenty CDs. They were all different genres and were from completely different decades. Had he really listened to each one? Or were they chosen at random?

Her mind whirled with the possibilities as she zipped the binder up and set it back down. She absently reached over and turned on the radio, figuring it would help calm her mind until Draco got there. The song that filled the room was a surprisingly upbeat number that had to of come from the newer selections her mother had sent since she had never heard it before...

 _To be young and in love in New York City._  
 _To not know who I am,_  
 _But still know that I'm good as long as you're here with me._  
 _To be drunk and in love in New York City._  
 _Midnight into morning coffee, burning through the hours talking._  
 _Damn!_

 _I like me better when I'm with you._  
 _I like me better when I'm with you._  
 _I knew from the first time, I'd stay for a long time._  
 _'Cause I like me better when, I like me better when I'm with you._  
 _I like me better when I'm with you._

 _I don't know what it is but I got that feeling._  
 _Waking up in this bed next to you._  
 _Swear the room, yeah, it got no ceiling._  
 _If we lay, let the day just pass us by,_  
 _I might get to too much talking._  
 _I might have to tell you something._  
 _Damn!_

 _I like me better when I'm with you._  
 _I like me better when I'm with you._  
 _I knew from the first time, I'd stay for a long time._  
 _'Cause I like me better when, I like me better when I'm with you._  
 _I like me, I like me better when I'm with you._

When the last note sounded she was still sitting there staring down at her own radio, completely flabbergasted. She never would have guessed that of all the music different kinds of music he had access to that this song would be something he would gravitate towards. Her lips pulled up into a bemused smile.

"Ahh... So you _did_ decide to come," Draco's voice interrupted her musings and sent her gaze searching the room yet again. Her eyes came to rest where he was leaning against an open door frame that had definitely not been there five minutes earlier. Amused by the way she was shocked into silence he continued, "I can never be sure with you."

Hermione couldn't stop the laugh that burst from her lips. The confusion that flashed across Draco's features only made her laugh harder. Once she was able to breathe again she offered up an explanation for her outburst, "I feel the same way about you literally all of the time."

As he processed her words, she took the time to take in his appearance. The perfected casual stance hinted at a deliberate betrayal of his "outstanding" pedigree and reminded her so strongly of Sirius that she felt a pang of guilt in the pit of her stomach. To distract herself from the memories that threatened to surface, she continued her lazy perusal of his body and noted that instead of dressing up he wore his traditional white dress shirt and black slacks.

She silently thanked the Gods for the fine specimen of male lounging in front of her as she dragged her eyes up to his face. A face that had almost completely thinned of any childish roundness and revealed sharp aristocratic features of an undoubtedly dignified man.

To stop the blush she felt creeping up her neck from her racy thoughts, she shifted her attention to the newly magicked door that Draco was conveniently blocking. Trying to deduce where it could potentially lead. Now that she was so close to solving the elusive mystery of his plans, she was immediately impatient. She stretched up onto her tiptoes trying to look over his shoulder into the room that was beyond...

Everything behind him had a weird hazy film over it, causing it to appear blurred. It was as if the room knew what she was doing and conspired with her host to keep her in suspense! Her brain could not conjure up a single detail that would give her any hint as to what was in store.

Draco cleared his throat to bring her attention back to him, his lips were raised in an amused genuine smile, allowing for the rest of his face to relax and soften. "Your intolerance for ignorance is showing."

She instantly fell back on to her feet and felt the blush color her cheeks. She shrugged, "I am not a fan of surprises."

"Or, as most people like to say behind your back... You. Are. Nosy." He teased, mimicking the way she would enunciate each word clearly.

"I am not nosy! I just...like knowing everything about everyone and everything at all times…" She made a show of putting her hands on her hips with feigned offense before concluding with a sheepish smile. "Besides! I think anyone in my place would want to have an idea about where they were going to be spending their night!"

"You will have to be patient for a few more seconds, Kitten." He said as he closed the door behind him, cutting off any hope she had for a sneak peek of what laid ahead. Instead of coming over to her like she had hoped, he moved to the right so he was positioned with his back to her as he rummaged around in the bedside table.

Taking advantage of his momentary distraction, Hermione snuck over as quietly as she could, making sure not to get too close and reveal herself prematurely. She leaned up so she was balanced on her tiptoes and whispered right into his ear, "What if I don't _want_ to be patient?"

Her unexpected proximity caused him to jump violently into the air and hurriedly jam something into his pocket before turning around to face her.

"Maybe I should make you wait even longer, hmm?" He purred. "Take advantage of the chance to teach you a lesson?"

"You could," She conceded with a smirk, watching as he took the opportunity to let his appreciative gaze wander from her face down to her toes and back up again, "...But..."

"But... That would be rather stupid of me?" He interrupted as his eyes found hers.

"Well... Yes." She straightened up triumphantly, the smirk on her lips transforming into a full blown smile.

"Lucky for you, I am not a stupid man." He said and reached over and took her hand in his, leading her over to the mysterious new door. There was nothing particularly extraordinary about it. The worn-looking slab of wood could have opened to any one of a hundred broom closets found throughout the castle. Instead of reaching for the knob, Draco stopped them and looked at her out of the corner of his eye.

"Close your eyes," he instructed gently.

She looked at him for a moment, but did as he commanded, the silly smile still firmly planted across her face.

The nervousness she felt earlier returned, but had transformed into an excited tension that knotted in her stomach as she waited for further instructions. With her sight cut off, the rest of her senses kicked into overdrive. She heard the rustling of fabric as he moved away from her, the warmth of his body next to hers disappearing, causing a shiver to run up her spine.

Her heart started to pound hard in her chest as her ears processed the sound of the doorknob clicking and she felt the whoosh of wind from the door swinging open.

For an immeasurable moment there was only silence and then Draco cleared his throat. Hermione was surprised to hear a slight tremor in his voice when he finally spoke, "Y... You can open them now..."

Was he... Was he nervous?

Any thoughts were immediately banished when she opened her eyes and saw what Draco had done with the room. Her jaw dropped in surprise.

She couldn't speak... She could barely breathe...

After a moment she was finally able to choke out the only thought that her mind could articulate-

" _How?_ "

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 _To my amazing readers:_

 _I must issue an apology to you. I still apparently suck and could give a long list of excuses for why it took so long for an update. The shortened version is that I ended up with some health issues that made it very difficult to be able to sit at my computer for any length of time. I have not been idle though and took the time to reread the HP series and do some research that was needed for future chapters. So hopefully I will be forgiven..._

 _The next couple of updates might also take some time to get out to you. Mostly because I am still healing up but also because of the content. I want to make sure that they are exactly how I envision them in my head. So thank you for being so understanding._

 _I would like to give a shout out to the amazing beta who helped me with this chapter (and the next couple of chapters): shannonymous (on FF) and shanonymous_user (on AoOO). She is awesome and deserves lots of props for getting them up to standard._

 _As always..._

 _Much love,_  
 _SlytherClawLuv_

 _Song Credit:_  
 _"I Like Me Better" by Lauv_


	50. Chapter Forty-Nine

_I have two, that is right, TWO, new chapters for you guys! *High fives*_

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For an immeasurable moment of time that could have lasted a few seconds or a whole hour, Hermione stood perfectly still and continued to try to process her mind-boggling surroundings. It was as if someone had reached into the past and plucked a recurring scene from her childhood to bring it back to life. That was, of course, impossible. She had never even been there. Only obsessively read about it...

To the left was a small wooden cluster of matured oak and linden trees. To the right was a glistening river that flowed along the entire length of the wall. The two sides were connected by a lush carpet of green grass that was spotted with different bunches of wildflowers, some of which she had solely seen in photographs. The walls and ceiling had not escaped the magical remodeling, they had been enchanted to depict perfect white fluffy clouds floating on a bright blue sky.

On the riverbank sat a white picnic blanket adorned with the makings for a casual cup of tea. There was even bees buzzing lazily and the faint chatter of squirrels somewhere in the woods! An unsettledness wound it's way into her stomach as if the White Rabbit really could jump out and run across the scene in front of her. As if to counteract the feeling her feet moved her forward of their own accord into the surreal landscape, she wasn't sure of an exact explanation on why... Maybe to verify the physical existence of the incarnate fantasy?

No matter the reason she made it mid-way between the tiny patch of woods and the blanket before stopping to take it all in from the different vantage point.

How?! How had he flawlessly recreated the opening scene from her favorite childhood fairy tale? How did he even find out about the muggle story when her best friends did not even know? How was it that he was able to read her mind without Legilimency?

She stood there unable to find the words to articulate her manic thoughts. Once again Hermione resorted to the singular question that seemed to enveloped the bafflement she felt. "How?"

" _Magic_..." Draco whispered playfully in her ear.

The shock of his close proximity caused her start, she had not realized that he had followed her, but the mischievous taunting tone in his voice triggered her immediate defiance. Without thinking she flung her arm back and smacked him in the chest with the back of her hand like she would have done with any of her other close friends. She felt him tense under the playful assault. Instantly she found herself regretting her impulsive decision.

Why couldn't she respect other people's personal space? As soon as the thought registered she tried to pull away, but before she could get very far his fingers wrapped around her wrist stopping her recoil. When she tried a second time to draw her hand back he only tightened his hold causing her to peek over her shoulder. Instead of the anger she expected, his features were oddly blank as if he was assessing her own response before deciding on his.

Yet another silence stretched and she found her gaze wanting to slide from the one place she usually had to fight to ignore. To cover up the internal dilemma she inclined her head in agreement to his previously ignored answer to her question. "Right and a masterly example it is Draco! Let's see, you had to of used: Meteolocreo for the weather. Augeoherba for all the foliage. And should I wager a galleon on Eam Parvumrivus being of great importance in the making of the river? Oh yes! I'd dare to say Professor Sprout and Professor Flitwick would both be proud of the special interest you have taken in their subjects."

"Granger." Draco interrupted her, the same teasing tone from before her assault ringing his tone. "You are doing it again..."

"What?" She asked, her confusion evident on her face. Did he know she made it a habit to physical assault her friends?

"Rambling." He told her with his trademark smirk playing on his lips.

"Oh." Was the only genius response she could come up with when his usually stormy eyes gleamed with an impishness she had not been granted the honor of seeing before. It was no wonder Pansy could end up making a prat of herself where he was concerned...

"Yes..." He purred in her ear, finally letting go of her wrist. The simple gesture allowed her to turn around and fully face him before he continued. "And while I do enjoy listening to you ramble I think our tea might be getting cold."

"One would assume that the wizard who could achieve such passable magic as all this would be able to perform a simple warming charm." Hermione jokingly challenged, adding an impression of his smirk at the end for good measure.

"That point _could_ be argued." He conceded before leaning down so their lips were only inches apart and he could stare into her eyes. "What if I told you that the sight of you in that dress made me weak in the knees and I was suddenly struck with the need to sit down?"

A round of giggles escaped from between her lips and then the look of shock and concern that sprung across Draco's face caused another. When she finally gained control of herself again it wasn't a pale imitation of a smirk on her lips as she responded. "Does that line usually work on the girls you go after?"

Instantly his posture relaxed and a genuine smile centered on his features. The exact smile that caused her stomach to jump into her throat and her heart to start galloping like a racehorse. He shook his head at her as the surprising sound of his breathy chuckle reached her ears. She felt her next inhalation get caught somewhere in her chest but was much too distracted to find the concern to care when he finally responded, "I have never tried before... If I had to place a wager on it though, I would have to say yes it has a high probability of moving things along in my favor. Though the question should be: Would I be willing to go through such effort for any of _them?_ "

"Oh please!" She said dismissively. Gaining control back over her breathing and the rest of her body as an unexpected hint of the "Old Draco" found its way into the tone of his last question and put her on guard. Subconsciously still waiting for the moment when he came to his senses and attacked. She turned away from him and huffily started to make her way over to the blanket.

Before Hermione could make it a few feet his hand slipped over her own, his fingers entwining with hers. He kept up with her heated pace for another few feet and suddenly her burst of emotion vanished just as quickly as it had appeared. They continued on in a comfortable silence after that. Draco's hand in hers helped keep her grounded in the moment.

It did not take long to reach their destination and sit down on the soft blanket. She splayed her hands behind her and concentrated on the odd feeling of the blanket rubbing against the grass. If she hadn't known better, she would have sworn they were floating inches above what should have been hard cold stone.

"Miss Granger." Draco said, interrupting her reverie as he tried to pass her a cup of tea.

"Thank you very much Mister Malfoy." She said taking the cup and saucer. Keeping an edge of sobriety to her voice so he didn't think he was completely off the hook for the ridiculous attitude given during his answer to her question.

"My pleasure." Was his simple response before starting on making his own cup.

When he was done she pounced unable to hold herself back from the answers that she so desperately wanted, no matter how she was trying to stay angry at the bloke across from her. "How did you...?"

"I already told you, Kitten. Do keep up... With _magic_."

"If you would have let me finish you would have realized that was not my question!" She snapped indignantly. He motioned for her to continue before taking a sip of tea as if to prove he was not going to butt in this time. "How did you know that Alice in Wonderland was my favorite fairytale?"

Draco watched her over the rim of his cup for a few seconds before returning the cup to the saucer and setting it down on the blanket. Once he was done making sure it wouldn't slip he looked back up at her and gave a half shrug. "I do not want to tell you."

"And why the hell not?" She asked surprised, setting down her own cup so she could lean forward and make sure he could not look away.

"You will get angry and I would rather not get punched in the face tonight." He said nonchalantly as he picked up a cookie from the tray and took a bite.

"Well... I cannot promise to curb my anger but I can promise that I will not hit you. Fair?"

His eyebrow raised but he shrugged again and sighed before starting in on what she hoped to be a detailed explanation. "Last October after the Halloween Feast you and Lovegood were stargazing in the courtyard..."

As soon as the words left his mouth the memory was conjured from the lost recesses of her mind and she knew enough to connect the dots. She didn't stop him though preferring to allow him to give his recount.

"...And I happened to come across the merry little scene. Loon... Lovegood was yammering on about some creature her father loves to report on in his silly little magazine. When she was finally finished you just shook your head and said, "Okay Alice"."

"Then Luna told me, "My name isn't Alice silly, it's Luna Lovegood!"." Hermione said with a laugh and shake of her head.

"Yes... And then what did you tell her?"

"That my favorite book growing up was about a girl that reminded me of her called Alice in Wonderland. She told me that she was going to have to find a copy and read it this summer." She shook her head again and scoffed at her own stupidity. She had never told Harry, Ron or even Ginny about the book. But she had told Luna offhandedly, without even thinking about it.

"Right you are. I wanted to know what it was about, so I wrote home with a lie about a muggle book burning taking place in the Slytherin common room. Mother sent a copy back within the week... So I became well versed in Alice's trip to Wonderland and her outlandish fight to get back home." Draco swirled the contents of his teacup before taking a sip and watching her over the rim. Trying to tactfully gauge her mood, no doubt.

Taking her own sip of the scalding liquid she worked over his explanation and tried to make sure that the anger that had flared was in check before setting the cup and saucer to the side. The drawn-out motions gave her a few moments before she finally had to look up at him. She could hear the sober tone to her question but didn't care. "So Slytherins make book burning a habit, do they?"

"No... Not anymore." Draco responded carefully. "It is an antiquated pastime from my parents' generation that explained my need for muggle literature."

"I should not be surprised by that, I suppose. _Considering_..." She acknowledged, quickly starting to nibble on her bottom lip to stop the choice descriptions she truly wanted to use against the type of people who would commit such an abhorrent act.

"Considering almost all of them ended up signing their lives away to a murderous dictator?" The cold mask instantly washed over his features. His ever-present control slipped causing his hand that still held his cup to shake and a few drops of tea to fall from the rim. They both watched as the dark amber liquid splashed onto the white fabric and spread out, staining what was unblemished a split second before.

"Right." His sudden transformation caught her off guard and she found herself searching for any way to get her version of him back. She felt her own hands start to tremble and blurted out the first thing that came to her mind. "Did you happen to bring your copy of the supposedly offensive text with you tonight?"

An unexpected chuckle had her attention drawn back to the uncommonly relaxed expression that slid onto his face as he set the cup to side. "No, but I do have a better surprise for you."

"Oh? A better surprise than all this?" She asked, gesturing to the room as a whole.

"Yes."

Hermione stilled as she watched Draco reach into the pocket that he had tried to covertly slip something into earlier. He pulled out a small emerald green rectangular box before grabbing his wand from where it sat next to the ornately decorated teapot. A quick tap to the lid caused the case to start to swell. Once he was satisfied with the size another tap halted the inflation. Unable to hide her appreciation for the seemingly natural use of non-verbal magic she nodded, recognizing the effort. "You've been practicing?"

"You have not been?" He asked sarcastically with a roll of his storm-gray eyes.

She gave a noncommittal one-shouldered shrug and leaned forward in an attempt to get a better look. "So what is inside?"

When he didn't respond she once again found her graze being drawn back up to the chiseled veneer that would forever be burned on the back of her eyelids. He shifted under her scrutiny but would not meet her eye. She tried being patient and staying quiet but her inquiring mind won out in the end. "What is wrong?"

"I..." Draco paused. It was as if he was fighting with himself... He even gave a quick shake of his head before one side seemed to win out over the other. Thankfully it was the one that was going to answer her. "I think I have found a less dangerous form of communication for us. I am just... Worried that you might be offended."

" _Offended?_ Why? You don't have some cursed house elf's hand in there or something... Do you?" She asked pulling herself up from the hunched position she had been holding.

"Worse..." He muttered ominously. Not giving her mind long enough to conjure up what could possibly be worse than a house elf's hand being imbued with dark magic, he pressed an undetectable clasp on the side of the box causing the top to spring up on hidden hinges. He thrust the box forward as if wanting to get the awful contents away from him as quickly as possible.

Instinctively she shied from looking down. How horrible was it if Draco Malfoy was repulsed? But she knew she had to find out, and if appeasing her curiosity wasn't a big enough inspiration, there was always the fact that he would never let her live it down if she didn't. Good-natured ribbing or not that prospect was far from an ideal looking future. So with her heart hammering away in her chest, she forced her gaze downward...

And let out an incredulous laugh as she gave the shiny trinket a hasty glance. The amusement she felt was quickly replaced with the slow-burning anger that he had been worried about. Instead of being directed at the beautifully crafted bauble laying on the satin cushion like had been promised, he was the target. Before she could stop herself she snapped. "Don't do that!"

"Do what exactly? Solve a major problem we were having or give you a gift?" He asked, the corners of his lips twitching to lift into a smile.

"No! Don't make it seem as if you are going to be showing me some crazy dark magic and then..." She took a breath, knowing that her reaction was overboard but not knowing how to defuse the bomb that was ticking. She scrambled to her knees, ready to get up and run before letting herself say something she would regret. "And then give me a damned piece of _JEWELRY_ Malfoy!"

"Wait..." Draco set the box to the side and went to grab her wrist. Something must have stopped him because he raised his hand in front of him in a placating gesture. "You are right. I was being my normal halfwitted self. I apologize."

The instant and clear expression of regret pulled her up short. She had been prepared for their typical strained back and forth bickering, not for him to easily admit any fault. It stopped her in her tracks and the toxic flame in her stomach flickered out. Feeling foolish for the sudden burst of emotion she gave him a soft smile and whispered. "Always with that whole underestimating yourself thing."

"Mmmm... Habit." His eyes twinkled with amusement but the rest of his face was stone as he sat and once again gauged her response.

She didn't hold back the snort as she sat back down and fixed her skirt. Like the embarrassed coward she was she took the momentary justification for no eye contact to give her own apology. "I'm sorry for overreacting..."

"Obviously I was expecting it. I just thought it would be over you thinking I was trying to "buy" you with gifts."

"That does sound like something I would do."

"Hence the poor attempt at humor."

Hermione finally looked up at him and gave him a half smile. "If it was anyone but me it probably would have been a hit."

"Probably not Kitten. It was a shit venture to begin with. I should have stuck to the truth."

She sighed but decided against arguing with him. There was no need to insist on any of her faults with him. The ones he didn't already know about would show themselves eventually. They always did, no matter how hard she tried to stifle them. Not allowing herself to dwell on the unalterable quandaries in her life, she distracted herself with the more immediate matter right in front of her...

"So... Um... Can I see my gift again? Or has the offer been rescinded?" A blush started to creep up into her cheeks as the lingering sheepishness from her earlier stunt was rekindled by having to ask. Her rudeness must have known no bounds.

A smile tugged at the corners of his mouth but it never fully appeared. The flash of playfulness was stamped out so quickly she was left wondering if it was an optimistic figment of her imagination. Draco shifted like he was planning to get up off the blanket but halfway through the motion his eyes caught hers. He instantly stilled and was left kneeling so close to her that she was forced to lean back and place her weight on her arms to be able to see his face.

"Are you leaving?" She muttered, letting her gaze fall to his shoulder so that he wouldn't be able to read the disappointment if he had finally had enough of her mood swings.

"No."

His succinct answer did little to reduce the tense set of her shoulders or the way her heart continued to pound in her chest. She still could not bring herself to look him in the eye, choosing to stick with the safer and less distracting solution found in the crisp white fabric that covered his shoulder. When another long stretch of silence threatened to descend on the moment she cleared her throat and started speaking without thinking. "That's good. I... I mean... I would hate for you to..."

Suddenly he bent over, leveraging himself with an arm on either side of her, leaving her no choice but to look up at him. A flash of silver in the swirling gray and an involuntary twitch in his left eyebrow were the only indicators that he was messing with her. Even his voice was in line with the perfected performance of indifference. "And to answer your previous questions... No. You cannot have your gift."

Before she was able to come up with any reply he leaned in and brought his lips so close to her ear she could feel his hot breath when he whispered. "At least not until you use the manners I am sure your parents painstakingly instilled in you."

Again before her mind was able to process the goading remark he was distracting her by sighing in mock disappointment. The hot breath against the sensitive skin of her neck caused her stomach twist and her back to arch ever so slightly. Seemingly encouraged by the fact that she did not protest he brushed his bottom lip along her earlobe, barely making contact with her skin. His teasing tickled the fine hairs as he worked his way down to the collar of the blue dress he had complimented her on after Slughorn's Christmas party.

She eagerly tilted her head to the side granting him better access to the now the tender flesh that begged to feel his lips. A soft breathy chuckle briefly registered in her ears but her attention was fully diverted to the vexing agony as he inched back up to her jaw. Unintended whimpering fell from her parted lips as her back arched even higher in an attempt to press her chest against his. Her body's instinctual way of trying to fulfill the need for some kind of contact.

When he started to make his way back over to her earlobe she lost any self-control and moaned. "Please!"

"Please what, Kitten?" He prompted her.

The murmur sent shivers down her spine causing her to squirm and warmth to fill her panties. She didn't know what to ask for as her mind ran through a number of enticing scenarios. Each one more ambrosian than the last.

As if he sensed that she had become lost in her own imagination and refused to be ignored, Draco took her lobe between his lips before quickly pulling away. Frustration at the deprivation had her desperate to regain any tangible touch between them. She shifted all of her weight to one arm and lifted the other up to entwine in his hair as she gasped. "Just _kiss_ me, please!"

"As always... All you had to do was _ask_." Amusement rang in his reply but thankfully he cupped her chin and brought his lips to hers in a sweet teasing peck.

The whole exchange was over much too quickly for Hermione's liking and she stopped him from pulling away by clenching her fingers that were still wrapped in his hair. She brushed her bottom lip against his before sucking it into her mouth and giving a flirtatious pull.

Rather than responding in kind like she had been expecting, he smiled into the kiss. He did not stop her when she slipped her hand from his hair and started to undo the top buttons of his shirt. Yet there wasn't the normal insistence in the responding press of his lips.

Exasperated by the apparent humor he found in her attempts she edged away and glared up at him. "What is it?"

His uncertainty at her reaction showed for at most a second, and then he was showing off that trademark smug smirk. "Well... I had thought you wanted to see your gift but I might have been mistaken."

"Oh, Shut. Up." She huffed with a roll of her eyes.

His own eyes rolled in an exact impersonation of her before he slid off of her and returned to his previous spot on the blanket. Lounged back as if he didn't have a care in the world, he ran his long fingers invitingly over the top of the jewelry box.

"Come on, Miss Granger. We both know you want to."

Of course, the question was... Did she really?


	51. Chapter Fifty

Hermione sat there, still as a statue, while she watched Draco try to tempt her with a better look at the necklace she had wanted to see only moments ago. Ensnared in what amounted to a one-sided battle of wills that they both knew she would inevitably lose. He had much more patience than she could ever hope to possess.

"Come here." He coaxed, reaching forward in a gesture for her to take his hand.

She stared at his hand before rolling her eyes at herself and giving in. After placing her hand in his she let him help her slide across the blanket. Moving with the intent to cuddle up to his side, she was surprised when his other hand came up to grasp her hip and pulled her between his legs. He guided her so that she sat with her back to his chest.

Encircled by his long legs and arms, the feeling of being secure and guarded came over her. The same feeling that allowed her to sleep so soundly on the nights she was lucky enough to be able to stay with him. She could not help the sigh of contentment that escaped and willed herself not to blush over the show of placidity.

He pulled her curls back off of her shoulder which allowed her to look over and see him staring down at her. "Better?"

"Much." She admitted, there was no use in trying to deny it when her body had just turned to jelly against him. The smile that flashed across his face was worth any possible embarrassment she may inwardly feel.

"Good." Draco reached over, grabbed the box and opened it once again before placing it in her lap.

The unmistakable tingle of eyes on her warned that he was watching but she could not muster up the effort to care. Her jaw fell open as she took in the antique gold locket. It was one of the most beautiful pieces of jewelry she had ever seen in person. The intricate design of a flower laid upon the dark teal face and tiny diamonds helped define each petal, instead of pushing it over the top they only added to the understated elegance.

For just a second she allowed herself to touch the detailed knots of gem and metal. She shook her head and looked up at him. "I cannot take this."

"And why the hell not?" He asked clearly insulted by her second rebuke of the night.

"That is worth my entire tuition this year Draco. It's... It's _way_ too much." She argued, staring down at the decorative front to the locket.

When she went to close the box he wrapped his fingers around her wrist before leaning down and asking. "Who said I spent a single knut?"

"Oh, so you resorted to petty thievery then?" Hermione questioned.

"Is it thievery when it comes from your own family's vault?"

The moral quandary pulled her up short for only an instant and she replied. "If you did not have permission, yes, it still constitutes stealing!"

"Good thing I had permission then, no?" Cockiness rang in his tone and she peeked at him out of the corner of her eye. His smug smirk sat comfortably on his lips as if he did not have a care in the world.

"You really expect me to believe your mother consented to you giving anything, much less a Malfoy heirloom, to a muggleborn?" She shook her head again. This time at the absurdity of the words that had come from her own mouth. There was no universe in which Narcissa Malfoy, wife to Lucius Malfoy- known Death Eater, would ever condone her son's flirtation with a "contaminated" bloodline. Hell... She was way past contaminated, she was one of the sources of infection as far as the other woman was concerned.

"Well, I didn't say that." Draco said evasively. "I might not have given her any more specific details than she needed, but I assure you she was quite indulgent when she found out I was interested in a particular girl."

She sighed but looked back down at the necklace sitting in her lap. A smile tugged at her lips at the thought that ran across her mind and she blurted it without thinking. "Every mother's dream... For their son to settle down while in school."

"Let's say she has not been too happy with my philandering ways. Fathers do not look highly of you if you have bedded their daughters and that could make future business deals for the Family Business strained, you see." He told her, the irritation at the obviously well-known lecture was evident above anything else.

"Which do you think would be a bigger deterrent- Messing with their daughters? Or a mudblood?" She asked as casually as she could manage while using the derogatory word.

His body stiffened behind her at the uninhibited application of that specific descriptive term. Rather than snap at her, he leaned back down and let his lips caress her ear as he whispered. "A Lady never uses such offensive language."

"Mmmmm... Somehow I highly doubt that the ladies you have come in contact with would have any qualms with my expression. Are you going to answer my question?" She asked, letting him know she was not going to go along with the deflection.

"If you think I am the first to sample the Forbidden Fruit you would be sadly mistaken. In fact, I have heard many drunken recollections of exactly how muggle women enjoy defilement." He said pulling back far enough back that she could no longer feel his breath on her skin.

Slowly the implication settled like a heavy weight around her. She continued to stare down, afraid of giving in to the constant compulsion to look back at him. He would undoubtedly be able to read the fear in her eyes and end the open communication between them. "You don't mean..."

"That is _exactly_ what I mean. It is not a hidden reality that we are not nice people, Kitten." He said. His voice cracking on the end as if it was trying to betray him and stop the admission.

Nausea started to roll in her stomach. Her mind shied away from the question she knew she had to ask. Taking a deep breath she forced the words to tumble from her mouth. "We? You've... You've never?"

Draco shifted so that he was pressed back against her and reached up, cupping her chin and turned her face him. He did not say anything, choosing to stay silent until she finally let her eyes meet his. " _Never_."

Such a simple denial was enough to push the breath she had just taken from her lungs. She nodded and mumbled. "I didn't think... You would... You know... Be capable of something like that."

"You don't know what I am capable of." The dreaded cold hard mask fell onto his features. Sending the gray in his eyes two shades darker, the precise color of storm clouds swirling right before the damaging tempest of a thunderstorm descended.

She cleared her throat for the simple excuse to give herself a moment to think. Still being held there by the hand on her chin, so close to him, while he was like this was both terrifying and exhilarating. Her heart pounded against her chest as the adrenaline was pushed through her veins. A reminder of the potential danger she was in, but she had not been lying when she said she did not think him capable of extreme violence.

Schoolyard bullying was a toxic practice, of course, but what they spoke of was a whole different level of depravity.

"I know..." A whisper that was barely audible, even to her own ears, passed from her numb lips.

He didn't acknowledge her answer instead he continued to just stare down at her. The realization that he was no longer there sank in. He was locked inside his head. Maybe even reliving whatever experience that had prompted the warning in the first place...

She grabbed his hand from her chin and interlaced their fingers. Bringing their connected hands down she placed them on her leg since her lap was already occupied with Draco's gift. Uncertainty at what to do next consumed her and she found herself wishing she could ask him how he always knew exactly what actions to take when she got like this.

There had to be some way to do this without startling him... An eternity seemed to stretch out in the span of a few seconds as she contemplated the best course of action. Before she was able to decide he blinked slowly and she squeezed his hand. Hoping to help ground him in the present moment.

She sat there patiently and waited as he reorientated himself, watching as his eyes eventually took on their characteristic sharp focus. A half smile lifted her lips when his fingers squeezed hers back.

"Are you okay?" She asked the preposterous question even though she already knew the obvious answer.

"I told you I knew how it felt." Was his straightforward reply, his voice didn't tremble in the slightest. Nor did his hand under hers. In every practical sense of the word, he seemed completely normal. If she had not witnessed what happened she would have never believed that seconds before he had been tormented by his own mind.

"Yes. Yes, you did." She said, finally relaxing her grip on his hand before she continued. "The perfect messed-up pair. You and I."

He took a measured breath and leaned forward, encircling her with his free arm. A quick kiss to her temple preceded him murmuring into her hair. "That sounds much better than it should."

"Does it?" Hermione teased, understanding the unspoken desire for a distraction.

"Yes." He said much more enthusiastically. Still not moving from where he stuck his face in her unruly curls.

Unsure of where to go from there, she resorted to the first thing that came to mind. Her hand slipped from his back down to the box in her lap and she picked up the shiny bauble, dangling it before them. "So... How does this work exactly?"

"Open it."

An eyebrow arched at his evasive command but she followed it anyway, sometimes it was easier to comply than to question and considering just how stubborn her contender could be...

She flipped open the fancy casing and examined both sides of the interior. Engraved on the left was a simplified version of the Malfoy crest- an Old English M, guarded by a pair of dragons. Thankfully the family's motto of "Sanctimonia Vincet Semper" was missing. The last thing she needed was a constant reminder that "Purity will always conquer" attached to her body

Opposite the stamp of ownership, where a picture would normally be, sat the day's date and the time they had planned to meet. She stared down at the etched numbers and felt the smug smirk tug at the corners of her mouth. "A Protean Charm. _Clever_."

"It would be if I was the one to come up with the idea first." Draco acknowledged her use of the same spell the year prior for Dumbledore's Army.

"True..."

"There have been specific modifications for exactly what we need, of course." He continued, finally removing himself from the protection provided by her hair. "Ours is two-way for example. There is a fifteen character limit, not limited to numerical writings. If you would ever like to request an audience all you need to do is transcribe the preferred details and close the locket. I will then be able to confirm or decline depending."

"Easy enough." She closed the locket and fumbled with the diminutive clasp for a moment. With a sigh, she quickly gave up and looked back up at him. "So where is _your_ pretty necklace?"

Draco reached around, pinched the delicate chain and gently tugged it from her grasp. In seconds he had the clasp opened and the locket strung out in front of her, without missing a beat he flicked the wrist of the hand that held his Slytherin insignia ring. "Less suspect than a shiny new addition. Especially when it is the only piece of jewelry any of my dorm mates have seen me wear in the whole of my time at Hogwarts."

"And you don't think that me suddenly toting a small fortune around my neck will not arise suspicion?" Instead of being stubborn like her tone might have indicated she reached up and bundled her hair like a crown at the top of her head, leaving her neck exposed to him.

The locket came to settle right where her covered cleavage started to plunge once he had fastened the clasp back together. A quick kiss at the nape of her neck set all of her nerve endings on fire but he did not push any farther, choosing to answer. "Honestly... No. From my understanding, there are not very many people who will be in the position to ever see it. If the ones that do ever question you I am sure your quick acuity will be sufficient in getting you through."

"Oh very funny..." She rolled her eyes as she pushed her hair back over her left shoulder which allowed her to go back to staring at him over her right.

"What would you like to me to say, Kitten? Would they believe your parents sent it to you? Or a long lost relative passing and them handing it down?" The half-hearted generic suggestions were almost insulting but he quickly followed up with. "You know them better than I do. I cannot tell you what to say when any of my excuses would surely cause skepticism."

"I suppose not."

"But again I am sure such a simple task would not be insurmountable for you." He teased easily.

"You do remember who my friends are correct? Trying to keep a secret in this castle from them is like well... Trying to get a werewolf to transform in the middle of the day!"

Her analogy had him rolling his eyes. "I think you overestimate their capabilities."

"While I think you _underestimate_ them... By a long shot. Harry already irrationally suspects you were involved in Katie Bell's attack and I've told you he is watching you." She snapped. Irritated over the fact that he evidently still thought of them as talentless hacks, even though they had managed to not only figure out but survive every hurdle thrown at them since starting at school. Including helping (albeit in the most infinitesimal amount) to capture and jail his own father!

"Please! Potter is paranoid. Now, this is not advanced potion making here Granger. Tell them something. Anything. It will be sufficient enough to stop questions, I am sure. If for some reason it isn't they will not torture you for the information so I am not understanding the issue here." His own tone was short as he continued uninterrupted. "Besides no one but you can open it anyway. So unless you decide to tell the truth there is no conceivable way for them to find out about us from your gift, alright?"

"Wait... No one else can open the locket?" This new tidbit was enough to distract her. She looked down to were it sat, the antiqued gold standing out against the deep blue fabric of her dress.

"Not even me." He stated, reaching up and running his forefinger over the object of her scrutiny.

"Really?"

Draco reached over and demonstrated he couldn't physically open the latch before he picked up his wand from where he had stowed it. He then pointed the tip a few inches from the gleaming face of the necklace. " _Alohomora_."

Regardless of his warning she still expected the pendant to spring open, when it didn't she internally chuckled.

" _Accio Locket_." Again nothing happened and this time she shook her head at him, impressed at the extent of his thoughtfulness. It was almost overwhelming how much work he had put into every single detail of the night for her.

A soft smile lifted her lips as she looked back up to meet his gaze. "You are absolutely unscrupulous. You do know that, right?"

"Who?... _Me?_... Never!" He feigned an innocent expression until his smirk cracked the perfect polished facade. "What better way to ensure the acceptance of your gift than guaranteeing that it is now useless to anyone else?"

"A scheming immoral swindler." She expounded on her earlier statement.

After setting his wand to the side it was his turn to shake his head at her. "And this is a surprise, Kitten?"

"Heck no! I was just verifying the facts at hand." Continuing the charade of mock disappointment she leaned forward and glared. "Of course the whole sweet unselfish hero thing did come as a bombshell."

"I could see why."

"A welcome one though." The responding smile that made his eyes actually twinkle was breathtaking. For what seemed like the thousandth time she found herself wondering why he would choose her when he was so damned good-looking. Before she was able to stop herself, she leaned up and closed the space between them, pressing her lips to his.

When she tried to deepen the kiss he gently pulled away and wrapped his arms around her to soften the rebuke. Placing a chaste kiss to her cheek he placed his forehead to hers and whispered. "As much as I do enjoy your affections. Tonight I would like to hear what you have been up to... Other than getting yourself into detention and having midnight conversations with my fellow Slytherins."

"It was _one_ conversation!"

" _Two._ "

"Only one was in the middle of the night!" She tried to keep the defensiveness from her voice but was not sure she succeeded. It wasn't as if she wanted to meet up with that boy to discuss their relationship or anything else that resulted from his discovery...

A chuckle rang in her ears as he placed another kiss to her cheek. He did not say anything, instead, he let a heavy quiet settle around them. Somehow the silence seemed to put him at ease while it made her heart race. Naturally, it ended up being her who shattered the phony tranquility. "I am just as boring as I was. I promise you."

"I highly doubt that Miss Granger. Why don't you try and convince me otherwise?"

So she attempted to make the days that had passed seem less depressing than they actually had been. There was no need to go into detail on how close she had come to a breakdown. If she ran out of things to say about a subject he was there asking her questions. Did Luna ever sit at her own table anymore? What had happened with Snape when he left? Why was Neville always checking behind his shoulder now? Had she heard anything that would lead her to think someone else knew?

Certain inquiries were easier for her to offer up an explanation for, she was pleased to able to be honest with those answers. While other times she had to lie through her teeth or straight out refuse to answer. After his interrogation was finished it was her turn to learn what he had been doing, which admittedly seemed to be even less than her. Granted that stemmed from the fact that Draco ended up answering far fewer questions than she did. From what she could glean off of the limited information given he had spent most of his spare time trying to work on whatever Voldemort needed "fixing" and Theodore was showing no lasting ramifications.

"...and I wrote her back stating that I could care less if she chose lilac or periwinkle for the tablecloths, especially when I will not be there." He shrugged his shoulders and looked down at her from where he had been staring at something she couldn't see. "My apologies m'lady, I am boring you."

"No you are not, though I do have to confess, I never thought that Narcissa Malfoy's linen conundrums would be quite so riveting." His laugh echoed off the walls of the room before he reigned himself in and she continued on. "I think that you should write her back and tell her to go with the periwinkle. It really would go better with the gold accents she has picked out."

"You paid attention to all of that?"

"Why wouldn't I?"

"Because it is as entertaining as watching a potion brew but also a truthful look into what being a Pureblood is really all about." He cocked an eyebrow and gave his sarcastic smirk.

She ducked her head just in time to stifle her third yawn of the night into her shoulder "See... Like I said. Riveting."

"So riveting that it is time for bed for the Gryffindor." He whispered into her ear. Before she could put up an argument to his assessment he pulled himself away from her and stood up, offering her his hand.

Instantly she scrambled to his side of her own accord. She wanted nothing more than to make their way to his room and climb into bed together. So much so that she started ahead without him, knowing he would follow eventually.

Which he quickly did. It took him no time at all to fall into step next to her and take her hand in his. Lacing their fingers together tightly so he could control their pace. Instead of rushing like she wanted, he walked leisurely, rubbing his thumb along the downy skin on the back of her hand. The smile that tugged at his lips every time he peaked over in her direction was a clear indication that he understood exactly how that made her stomach clench in anticipation.

It felt like an eternity before they finally crossed the threshold into the suite. Hermione turned to head toward the beckoning covers. She was beyond eager to satisfy some of her more titillating fantasies. Rather than follow her Draco dropped her hand and went to stand by the door. Confused, she stayed where she was and stammered. "I... I thought we... were going to bed?"

"As alluring as that does sound, I do not think that is the most prudent course of action tonight." His eyes narrowed as if bracing for her reaction.

Dumbstruck by the slight she couldn't stop from whining. "But... _Why?_ "

"If you would kindly join me I could explain." He gestured to the empty space in front of him and then crossed his arms, indicating he had all the time in the world to wait for her.

For a moment she considered strolling right on out of the room but ultimately decided to find out the reason behind the rejection. She made her way over to the exact spot he had indicated. Crossing her own arms across her body like shield she glared up at him, determined to wait him out.

A platinum eyebrow lifted at her immature retaliation but he wasn't deterred from launching into his justification. "It is customary for a first date to end at the woman's door. Since I am unable to meet that requirement, I will have to make do with the only alternative available to us."

"From what I understand it is also customary to date a woman _before_ bedding her, but yet here we are. So I am not understanding the issue." She tried to rationalize.

"True." He said looking over his shoulder at the bed behind him. When he turned back to her he closed the space between them and reached up to brush a curl back from where it had fallen into her face. "Unfortunately, I wasn't raised to be a hero but I was taught how to be a gentleman... And with that comes certain rules that must be followed, Kitten."

"Just so that this is made perfectly clear I want it known that I think your rules are archaic bullshit."

"Noted." He nodded as his eyes twinkled with amusement at her synopsis.

"Good."

Leaning down so his lips were only inches from hers he breathed. "Did you know that it's also traditional for a kiss to be bestowed if the lady was pleased with her evening?"

"I might have heard a rumor about such a silly practice." She teased before brushing his bottom lip with her own.

All plans of leaving it at that went out the window when he cupped her chin and kissed her fully. The soft moan that was pulled from her throat from the simple gesture was enough to ignite the electric need that was almost palatable. His hand slipped from where it sat on her chin up into her hair. He wrapped his fingers in her curls before guiding her head back so her neck was bent at an angle that offered up the skin there to his questing lips.

Sighing in satisfaction as he finally seemed to let go for the first time that night she barely even felt the pinch of pain from the grasp he had on her hair. Adrenaline once again started seeping into her veins as he worked his way down. Always the impatient one she pushed her body against his, trying desperately to get some relief for the deep ache that had been building steadily all night.

He responded by nipping at the tender flesh where her neck and shoulder met. Expertly the tip of his tongue snaked out and swept all the way up to her earlobe. While she was distracted his other hand found it's way to her hip, holding her still as he pressed firmly against her.

With the evidence of his arousal wedged between them, she had enough with games. Reaching up she started to release the buttons of his habitual dress shirt. Encouraged by the fact that instead of stopping her he moaned around the lobe he had taken into his mouth to suckle. She quickly made it down to the sixth button and could feel the hard ridges of his defined muscles underneath the thin fabric as her fingers worked.

Abruptly his hands loosened from their respective holds and wrapped around her wrists before he growled into her ear. "Why must you test my self-control?"

She pulled far enough back that she was able to glare up at him. "I am _not_ sorry."

Snickering as he placed her arms at her sides, he took a step back. "And I am not surprised by that. Should I be arrogant enough to assume, from such an enthusiastic display, that you found your night to be adequate at the very least?"

Taken aback by the concealed doubt that was insinuated in the question she felt a blush immediately flair across her already hot cheeks. How had she not expressed her gratitude earlier than this? He had done so much for her!

"Okay... I guess I do owe you an apology... Not for testing your self-control, but for not thanking you. Tonight has been more perfect than I could have ever imagined. So... I guess what I am trying to say is... Thank you Draco, for making my first date a memory I will never forget." Her voice cracked at the end and she cleared her throat of the silly emotion that had crept up.

Closing the space that he had just put between them, Draco waited for her to look up at him. Once she did he reached up and cupped the side of her face so she couldn't look away before whispering. "You deserve it."

The surrealness of the words and who was saying them washed over her and in the confusion the question that bounced around in her head slipped out. "I do?"

An exasperated roll of his eyes followed another smirk as he stepped back and wrapped his fingers around the door handle. "Sure do. Regrettably, the fact that we both should be heading to bed so that we do not splinch ourselves tomorrow still stands."

"Ugh... Truth!" She conceded. That was all that either of them needed...

"Good night, Kitten." He said. His eyes ran over her body, drinking her in, as he pulled open the door and held it open for her.

Resigned to the fact that she was not going to be staying, no matter how hard she tried to change his mind, she went over to him for one last kiss. It was quick, almost perfunctory.

If she had to play by the rules she would...

Looking him over she realized that his collar had folded in on itself during her earlier onslaught. Naturally, she reached up and fixed the oversight, instead of pulling her hand away she let it fall to the bare skin of his chest that peaked out from the parted stark white material of the shirt. Slowly her fingers splayed across the hard muscles that had only teased her earlier,. She slid her hand down lower until the buttons she hadn't finished stopped her, enjoying the feeling of his shuddering breath under her.

When his eyes fluttered closed she pulled her hand from the confines of the shirt. A smirk crossed her lips when he jumped from the sudden lack of contact, the vindictive part of her liked returning the favor. He looked down at her with confusion that quickly turned into a vexed understanding when she shrugged, there was no need to explain herself.

" _Good night, Draco._ " Without waiting for his reply she turned and walked from the room. It took everything she had not to look over her shoulder. Particularly after a long string of groaned profanities that included "holy fucking hell sent harpies" followed behind her. Somehow she won the internal battle and kept her head high as she sauntered away.

The click of the door closing echoed loudly in the empty corridor. Thrust into darkness she slowed down her pace while her eyes tried to adjust to the change. She outstretched her hand until she came into contact with the cool rough stone of the wall. Using it as a crude guide she continued on her trek, determined to make it to the corner where the moon would be able to light the better portion of her way.

Mercifully the wandering required less time than she had originally calculated and before she knew it she was stepping into the pale glow that streamed in from the windows. Emboldened by the restored sense of sight she hurried on. Ready for bed and the good dreams that were sure to suppress any nightmares.

As she went along the familiar route back to Gryffindor Tower flashes of the night kept replaying in her mind. All of them centered around him. Draco standing in the entrance to a storybook come to life. Draco laughing at something she had said. Draco chivalrously offering to help her up. Draco with his eyes closed, jaw drawn tight from her touch.

Yes, she was a lucky girl...

Her rumination lasted the rest of her uneventful journey. Outside the common room the Fat Lady was still awake, gossiping with her friend, so she didn't have to deal with the cumbersome task of waking her up. She waited patiently for the two to stop talking and gave the password.

"Looky here Violet! All dressed up with rosy cheeks and quite obviously trying hard to sneak in. Young love is adorable, is it not?" The Fat Lady smiled down at her affectionately.

"Ahhh, yes. The classic signs." Violet agreed from where she was perched on the lounge in the background.

Hermione stood there frozen for a second, unsettled by their joint appraisal. Young love? That was... _Preposterous_. Outright slanderous! And she meant to tell them so getting as far as "I'm not" before the painting swung forward in a blatant dismissal. She huffed her aggravation but chose not to press the matter further. Any denial of her part would only add fire to their flames anyways.

Once she was safe under the toasty warm covers of her bed she pulled the chain of metal from the confines of her pajama top. Her fingers inched along until they found the small round disk that they quested for. There in the pitch dark, she studied the design by touch, learning each twist of gold and each raised diamond. Thirty perfectly matched tiny gems in total.

While she stroked the locket one thought kept repeating in her head as she slowly drifted off to sleep...

How long would it take for them to be able to meet again?

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 _If you liked the chapters leave me some love! Pretty please with a cherry on top. I will be forever grateful! Hopefully the over 9,000 words helps make up for my lack of updates, lol._

 _I hope your night/day/morning is going well._

 _As always..._

 _Much love,_  
 _SlytherclawLuv_

 _Disclaimer: J.K.R. owns everything. Characters, universe, random names for things. All of it is hers. I get no compensation for the time I put into writing this fanfiction. Just the warm fuzzies from reviews (or follows/favorites/kudos/subscribers)!_


	52. Chapter Fifty-One

Early the next morning a smile played on Hermione's lips as she watched the sporadic snowflakes float from the darkening sky and land on the already blanketed ground. The warmth of Neville's accompanying body heat kept the chill in the air at bay enough to let their walk be a rather comfortable occasion. She had held herself to the meditative promise to find some time to spend with the most reserved of her friends.

A choice she didn't regret even as the clearly foolish chatter about them had started at the moment they had left the Great Hall together. Not when there was an unorthodox lightness to his demeanor and a smile the size of an erumpent plastered on his face. They had been walking side by side in silence for over ten minutes. After exchanging the normal pleasantries and a few well-aimed complaints about the workload over the last week they had found a nostalgic sense of relaxation in the act of walking with no destination in mind.

There were no difficult expectations between them, which led to no awkwardness. Only a connected enjoyment of the beautiful morning as they waited for the time to pass before their next Apparition lesson. They continued on the well-worn path in front of them. The new dusting of snow crunched under their boots, breaking up the quiet.

Neville stopped walking about three-quarters of the way through the lengthy stroll and looked out over the castle and lake. Instead of continuing to stare at the magnificent view he peeked at her out of the corner of his eye, making sure she had stayed by his side before asking the routine question she had hoped to avoid. "You okay Hermione?"

"Hmmm? Oh yes." She responded inattentively. It was a wretched feeling to know her act at being absorbed in the scenery was failing, based on the look he gave her.

"You sure?"

"Why wouldn't I be Neville? It is a warm morning with snow and good company to boot. Most would say I am rather privileged, don't you think?" She teased him, bumping his shoulder playfully.

He huffed. A cloud of white trailed behind on the exhaled causing it to look like he was smoking. The annoyed tone was very unlike him but he persisted anyway. "Without a doubt. But... Considering it is one of your best friends' birthdays and you are hiding out in the hills around school, I would wager and say you are lying to me."

Slowly she inhaled a stabbing breath, sharp from just how quick the blow was. She wasn't sure if she should have been grateful or angry. So she settled for the numbness... "I have no need to lie to you. We all make our choices and have to live with them. I am choosing to make the best of this morning."

"How very _adult_ of you." He said neutrally as he turned back to the path and waited for her. Once more they walked in silence for a few moments before he seemed to muster up enough courage and started again. "Look... I know you both think you are acting like adults here but deep down you know that isn't true right?"

"I... Neville..." The words got stuck in her throat and she clung to the numbness. Somehow she was able to get in another breath around the stabbing pain and managed to keep it together. "Yes..."

"I'm not saying this to be a prat. You have to know that! I am saying it because I am a friend of you both. So..." Hesitation marred his features even as he continued to push forward. "Figure it out! Figure out how to deal with Lavender, no matter how horrid she is. Suck it up! At least for the foreseeable future. I've already told him to figure out how to restrain her and... Whatever it is nagging him where you are concerned, so that is taken care of. Hopefully, he reflects on it because one of you need to cut Harry some slack. He is going to go bonkers one of these days."

Her cheeks flamed hot at the chiding as he broke through the crumbling walls around her. No matter how well-deserved it was, the experience was still humiliating. She wrapped her arms around herself for something to do while she tried to come up with an excuse that did not sound bogus to her own ears. It took her awhile to come around and most of the journey passed before she acknowledged his tough love. " _I know._ I... I will talk to him after Apparition."

"Great. That was much easier than expected." He said brightly, his whole demeanor shifting back to the warm and relaxed companion from earlier.

The drastic switch raised an eyebrow as she responded dryly. "I'm glad to hear it..."

Apparently, her surly manner was too much for him because he broke out in laughter. At first, she attempted to keep her face like stone but eventually his merriment won out, forcing her lips break out into a smile and she giggled. He gave her a gentle push with his bent elbow. "Me too!"

She shook her head at him and rolled her eyes but any petty feeling had fallen away. "Me too. So since, you know, my boy problems have been covered. What about _you?_ Any girl-related issues in your life?"

"Uhhhh... You have met me before right?"

"Neville! Stop that! Girls like you!"

"Right then... Who!? Because it would be news to me! I have been trying to get a girl to notice me since fourth year." He said looking at her like she was off her rocker.

"Hannah Abbott for one." She smirked at the bewildered look at her quick answer, even if it was only momentary.

"What good does that do me when He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is out murdering people left and right?" He grumbled and kicked at a piece of snow that had fallen from the adjacent bank as he passed. The truth of the statement slammed into the both of them and he sighed, ducking his head. "Horrible really... What happened to her mum."

"It is. Maybe you could reach out and see how she is doing..." She suggested lamely.

He shook his head like she knew he was going to and stared off in front of them.

"Well... I might have heard Isobel MacDougal tell Mandy Brocklehurst that you have nice eyes the other day. You could always ask Luna and see if she might be worth pursuing."

"I... I don't know Hermione..." He hedged, clearly uncomfortable.

"Hey... No pressure! Sit on it for as long as you like." She assured him as they entered the shadows that signified they were almost to the castle and all of they prying eyes therein.

"Yeah. Thanks." A half-hearted smile formed on his lips but he didn't meet her eyes rather choosing to stare down at the ground as they walked on.

Hermione found herself floundering to try and make things better before they separated. "Are you kidding me right now? I should be the one thanking you! You are the one who came out into the cold to keep me company when you did not have to. You gave me a much-needed wake-up call, that I am sure Harry will be appreciative of. You... You always know what the right thing to do is. And what's more? You actually follow through and do it! Despite the fact that sometimes you are afraid, you still do it."

A blush colored his cheeks at her praise. He never was one to be able to accept compliments very well. When his foot caught on a ledge of ice, that was completely covered by the recent fluffy blanket of snow, he pitched forward. Swinging his arms in an attempt to stop himself from ending up sprawled on the ground, he looked like a parody of some morning cartoon.

Since she couldn't grab an appendage without getting thrashed, she did the next best thing and snatched the back of his coat. Giving a quick but firm pull she was able to stop the forward momentum which allowed him to regain his footing. As soon as she was sure he was stable she let go and gave his shoulder a few reassuring pats. "Whatever girl ends up lucky enough to be with you, I hope she knows just how special you are... And how to do a _wicked_ healing charm."

He laughed enthusiastically and nodded. "I will have to remember to ask any future prospects if they know a good one."

She smiled back at him, happy to have had him literally stumble into being his upbeat self again. Turning back to the path she made sure to step much more carefully and watch Neville out of the corner of her eye, just in case. Once they had braved the rest of the path and then the steps they made their way into the welcoming warmth of the indoors.

"See you in a few. I have a question for Seamus." He called over his shoulder as he walked back into the Great Hall, apparently having decided that was the best place to start his search for the other boy.

Intent on bringing her outerwear up to her dorm so she would not have to worry about it during lessons, she spun around and headed toward the staircase. There was more than enough time to accomplish the task and return, except her progress was halted when she heard the unmistakable chorus of sniggering that usually heralded an onslaught of vulgarity aimed in her direction. Well hidden behind the wall that separated the descending and ascending stone stairs, she stopped mid-stride to listen.

"...Damn straight! Daddy said he would buy _five house elves_ if it meant I would keep my mouth shut." Pansy didn't even try to modulate her voice as she bragged to the others.

"Of course he did." Came the voice that she wanted to hear. He sounded bored with the conversation as if the topic had already been discussed repeatedly.

"Why would one person have the need of five house elves?" Blaise pondered with a sarcastic edge to his tone.

"Right!" Grumbled either Crabbe or Goyle, she couldn't be sure without the visual confirmation.

Pansy sighed before snapping. "House elves can be exchanged through doweries idiot Why accept the possibility of substandard service when I can have my very own merry little band of minions all trained up?"

"You know... There is some twisted logic to that plan." Theodore cajoled. Without a doubt trying to diffuse an argument before it could begin.

"Thank you, Theo. At least _someone_ sees my brilliance." The fact that her "brilliance" included the enslavement of five innocent creatures made Hermione's stomach roll. She pushed it down as the other girl continued on, her voice getting louder as they neared the landing. "Besides it's not like he can give me what I initially asked for."

Again Theodore was the one to step up and ask. "Which was?"

"Granger's head mounted on my wall... He told me that money cannot buy everything, so this was the compromise."

"Pricey compromise. Remind me to never piss you off." Blaise muttered loud enough so everyone could hear.

"Whatever Zabini." Pansy snarled. Venom dripped from the words and she was momentarily worried for Blaise's safety. She wondered if she should intervene but the witch rushed ahead of the group and didn't look back as she stomped into the Great Hall with Theodore following obediently behind her.

"Sweet baby hippogriffs! Theo is a brave man, taking one for the team like that." Blaise said as he came into view, quickly followed by the rest.

"He is stupid." Goyle grunted and then laughed at his pitiful attempt at a joke.

"He is ruled by his dick..." Draco said what they all, herself included, had been thinking.

"OH! _Oh, Thank Merlin!_ "

Her blood turned to ice in her veins. There was only reason for those words, in that tone, to come from that voice and she refused to believe it. In the effort to fool herself she looked down to the landing where the four Slytherins stood, looking up with interest as the scene unfolded.

The sound of footsteps thundered against her eardrums while her mind registered the fact that she had been caught eavesdropping. A social blunder that would normally send a blush to color her face but didn't even cause her to blink as she made eye contact with each of the boys in turn. She saved the soothing and safe gray for the end, thankful that no matter how remotely, he was there as her world imploded. And as surely as she knew her own name she knew the reason it would implode.

Someone important had been hurt...

When Ginny proceeded to stop on the step above her it took a moment for her gaze to swing up and lock onto hers. Breathlessly the shattering words fell from the other girl's lips. "It's... It's R..Ron..."

She reached up and grabbed the other witch's arm. A proper support as her vision tunneled. It only lasted a second for which she was appreciative but she did not need to worry. Ginny stepped down before tucking her arm under Hermione's arm so she could lead her away. "Let's go... Har... Harry is already waiting outside the Hospital Wing."

Her guilt flared. She should be consoling Ron's sister, not the other way around, but she couldn't figure out how to make her feet or mouth work. The tears flowed freely down her friend's face, signaling how truly dire the situation was, but an unpretentious strength radiated outward. So like her mother, somehow able to keep it together while everything else fell apart.

And fall apart it did...

A million questions followed by a million scenarios flashed in her head. Confusing her overloaded psyche all the more. As she was guided away it seemed to boil down to one dominating and completely selfish question:

How was she going to live with herself if she had missed her chance to make things right?


	53. Chapter Fifty-Two

_Disclaimer: This chapter is one where a bunch of stuff, mostly dialogue, is taken from The Half-blood Prince. More specifically Chapter 19 but shown from our girl's view. A huge thank you must be given to J.K.R. for creating it first!_

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The strange cold numbness from that morning had morphed into an even stranger glacial-like fury. As the minutes had ticked by and they waited for any news from beyond the doors, Harry and Ginny had become consumed with hypothesizing possible assailants and their motives. Along with the ever-worrying solution to how someone had managed to pull the attack off in the first place...

While she had stood to the side, unwilling to partake in the useless venture. Not when some of the greatest minds in the european magical community were already on the task. Instead, she chose to stare at the inanimate slabs of wood, memorizing the embossed grain as she hoped for them to part. That way someone, anyone, could come and tell them he was going to be alright.

It had been well after dinnertime when Professor McGonagall had delivered the merciful reassurances that he would be. The tearful arrival of Mr. and Mrs. Weasley meant Harry was yet again hastily pressed for answers he did not have. After another hour of standing around ineffectually passed, they were _finally_ allowed to see him.

Even with Madam Pomfrey's warnings, the sight of Ron was startling at first. He was so pale that it was hard to distinguish his skin from the sheet that covered the lower half of his body. A green-tinge had settled around his lips and contrasted horribly against the smattering of freckles across his long face. Most noticeable was the newly acquired gauntness to his features that had not been there the night before at dinner. If she had to wager she would have guessed he had lost close to ten pounds, from the poison itself or the fight for his life, she couldn't be sure.

Her knees buckled signaling that she had reached her limit and needed to sit down. The physical manifestation of just how close they had come to losing him was too much for her exhausted mind to bare. Thankfully the interruption of Fred and George's arrival distracted Pomfrey from sticking her in the bed next to Ron and a chair was conjured right behind her with a flick of the older witch's wand. With some help from Harry, she sat back and stayed quiet through the welcoming of the twins.

A much easier endeavor than trying to talk while tears fought to fall down her cheeks. She found herself grateful for the choice of silence when the conversation inevitably wound from an explanation of events around to speculation. As much as she would have liked to completely zone it out, she kept an ear on the conversation. There was no way she could forgive herself if she missed something important. Not when the stakes were so important and people's lives literally hung in the balance...

The conversation switched from Slughorn, the only other person in the room at the time of the attack, possibly being a Death Eater to who would have reason to target him as a victim.

"Dumbledore reckons Voldemort wanted Slughorn on his side. Slughorn was in hiding for a year before he came to Hogwarts. And..." Harry said trailing off at the end before quickly continuing. "And maybe Voldemort wants him out of the way, maybe he thinks he could be valuable to Dumbledore."

"But you said Slughorn had been planning to give that bottle to Dumbledore for Christmas." Ginny reminded him of the detail he had told them earlier in the day. Her eyebrows lifted as a new theory sprung from her lips. "So the poisoner could just as easily been after Dumbledore."

"Then the poisoner didn't know Slughorn very well." Hermione interrupted, using her voice for the first time since that morning. She winced at how obvious her struggle not to cry was but didn't let it stop her. "Anyone who knew Slughorn would have known there was a good chance he'd keep something that tasty for himself."

Harry opened his mouth to respond but suddenly Ron gasped and then whispered her name. His voice was so raspy that she wished there was a spell she could use help him but anything she did could have dire effects when mixed with the magic done to keep him alive. Especially when she didn't know the specific spells used.

She looked around for Madam Pomfrey but he instantly quieted down and started to snore lightly. Reassured that he was somewhat comfortable she relaxed back in the chair, only to be startled into standing by Hagrid's unexpected and rather loud appearance. Unable to calm her hammering heart, she didn't sink back into the chair like her spent muscles screamed for her to do.

Independent of the conversation she looked back down at the boy she had thought she would spend her life with. Everything in her screamed out to take his hand in hers but it felt wrong like she was playing the part that Lavender should have been there to fill. So she shifted far enough away that the feeling was able to ease and her concentration could focus on the newest theory to develop.

"Someone couldn' have a grudge against the Gryffindor Quidditch team, could they? Firs' Katie, now Ron..." Hagrid suggested the anxiety at the thought seeped into his tone.

"I can't see anyone tryin' to bump off a Quidditch team." George said skeptically.

" Wood might've done the Slytherins if he could've gotten away with it." Fred offered.

"Well, I don't think it's Quidditch, but I do think there's a connection between the attacks." She said quietly. Not sure if her two cents would be appreciated at the moment, considering it had to do with the facts they had, not speculation.

Fred smirked over at her as if he had just been waiting for the resident know-it-all to chime in. "How'd you work that out?"

" _Well_..." She started again. "For one thing, they both should have been fatal and weren't, although that was pure luck. And for another, neither the poison nor the necklace seemed to have reached the person who was supposed to be killed. Of course, that makes the person behind this even more dangerous in a way, because they don't seem to care how many people they finish off before they actually reach their victim."

The gloomy turn to her pronouncement appeared to have a sobering effect as the rest of them digested what she had said. The large doors opened once more and Mr. and Mrs. Weasley hurried down to the group that was gathered around their youngest son. As soon as they were within reach Mrs. Weasley was hugging Harry and thanking him for his quick thinking. Soon she was gushing over all of the times he had managed to save one of her kin.

"Half our family does seem to owe you their lives, now that I stop and think of it." Mr. Weasley said, his voice thick with emotion. "All that I can say is that it was a lucky day for the Weasleys when Ron decided to sit in your compartment on the Hogwarts Express, Harry."

"Yes, yes. We are all blessed to have the valiant Harry Potter in our mists but we do still have a six visitor rule..." Madam Pomfrey said gently but yet sternly, the look she gave at the oversized crowd told them she was not going to leave quietly without at least two bodies accompanying her.

Hermione smiled for the first time since re-entering the castle. There was comforting normality to having the woman nagging at them. She and Harry stepped up as the ones leave, quickly followed by Hagrid, that way the Weasleys could be left alone to have some time together as a family.

After some rushed farewells were issued the three of them headed out for Gryffindor Tower together. Hagrid having decided to tag along since it was past curfew and Filch was out prowling because of the attack. She couldn't help but wonder, albeit guiltily, about how much information they might be able to wrangle from their loose-lipped friend...

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Later that night after she and Harry had left Hagrid arguing with Filch and returned to the common room she had retired almost immediately. Instead of the answers that she had hoped to gain from the half-giant all she had gotten was more to worry over. What were the muggleborns going to do if they closed Hogwarts? This was one of the last places they were safe. If they sent them to their unprotected muggle homes with Traces still on them, they would be sitting ducks waiting to be picked off by Death Eaters.

Her peculiar anger from earlier returned. She wanted to know who the attacker was. She wanted to be able to curse the savage until they no longer resembled a human being. She wanted to take their voice so no one could hear them scream just like Katie. She wanted to leave them as wasted away as Ron. She wanted them to _suffer._

An eye for an eye. It was only fair after all...

The tips of her fingers tingled with the hum that always came prior to using magic. She flipped over in bed knowing she needed to get control before she completely lost it. Slowly she took deep breaths, focusing on how her lungs constricted and then expanded until she was able to trust herself again. Revenge was not where her mind was needed anyway. Not when she still needed to figure out what Neville had asked of her.

Today had without a doubt been a wake-up call. She missed having Ron in her life. She missed the way he would snort when he really found something funny which would cause him to laugh all the harder. She missed his stupid jokes and how he was always up for a game of wizarding chess. He was one of her best friends and it wasn't right of her to get so pissed about Lavender or his messed up expectations of her.

Well... It wasn't right to hold onto those feelings for such a long time at the very least.

And if his mutterings were anything to go by he must have missed her as well. Why else would he have said her name in his sleep-induced delirium? Or could it have been a subconscious response to hearing her voice...

Regardless of the reason she _had_ to do it. She needed to set aside the bullcrap and be his friend again before something happened and one of them was left with the soul-crushing guilt she'd had a taste of.

Her decision left her up most of the night as she contemplated her newest conundrum.

How in the hell did you have such an awkward talk with someone so soon after they had barely escaped death?


	54. Chapter Fifty-Three

"Be careful Ronald Weasley. I might not come back again. You know... Since you are no longer _interesting_ , being on the mend and all." She said with a playful smirk as she stared over the top of her Potions book at the boy. Every chance that she had gotten from the moment Harry had told them about Lavender's presumption she had teased him. It was quite amusing to watch the blush creep up his neck and the attempts at distraction that would immediately take place.

As if on cue his cheeks turned a bright pink and he looked down at the scroll that covered his copy of the book in his lap. "I wouldn't blame you. It's bloody dull bein' stuck here. So... Thanks for keepin' me caught up on lessons, I guess. Breaks up the boredom."

"Of course..." Hermione could feel her own cheeks heat up at the unexpected recognition. She ducked back down into the safety of her book and acted as if she was totally immersed in finding the fourth practical use of Galpalott's Fifth Law.

They were still quite clumsy with their newly rebuilt friendship. Always checking to make sure they had not crossed some unspoken boundary and offended the other. The hypersensitivity was exhaustive but worth it. In some ways, it was like nothing had ever changed and she found herself grateful for the times when the past few months melted away and they were allowed to just _be_.

Which was made all the more convoluted by the fact that she hadn't found the right time to talk him about everything. The morning after the attack when he had woken up to see her standing there with his family, his smile had broken her heart. So she had put it off, only to continue to come up with reasons on why she should wait.

Draco would tell her that she was overthinking again, but then he also wouldn't care if Ron recovered or not.

She let her gaze wander up from the single word she had been staring at uncomprehendingly to find that the familiar set of blue eyes looked back at her. His steady scrutiny was at odds with their recent fragile camaraderie and it made the hair on her arms stand on end. To distract herself from the weird reaction she leaned forward and asked. "What? Do you need help paraphrasing?"

"No. I was wonderin'..." He faltered and then cleared his throat before continuing. "What were you thinkin' about a minute ago?"

"Nothing, why?"

"You looked really happy for a second and then... Well... And then you looked right pissed."

"I did? Hmmm... If I was in your position, I would just be grateful it wasn't directed at me." She said with an off-handed shrug.

He chuckled under his breath before mumbling. "So it was a person!"

"I didn't say that..."

Ron shook his head at her before giving one of his cheeky smiles. "You didn't have to. Besides the fact that you are not denyin' it, tells me I am right."

Disconcerted by the unusually astute assessment, she narrowed her eyes in a fraudulent glare, hoping to throw him off the topic at hand. It was near impossible that he would react kindly if she told him the truth and she wasn't too keen on adding more lies to have to keep track of. They were piling up much too fast the way it was.

Her crack at intimidation was pointless because he sat there and stared back. Apparently resolved in his quest for more details. When neither of them budged, unwilling to be the one who broke eye contact or the silence first, he leaned back and placed his hands behind his head. She had no doubt that if his lap was not occupied he would have crossed his heels as well, mimicking a stance straight out of the imaginary Sirius Black handbook.

The attempt at bravado was amusing and tugged at the corner of her lips. Before she could stop it a hushed chuckle left her throat, causing a smile to break out across her face. Cursing under her breath at how quickly she had lost, she turned back to the book in front of her to glare at the same word she had read a thousand times already.

"Who were you thinkin' about 'Mione?"

"Does she make you happy Ron?" She countered his inquiry, hoping he would draw his own conclusion based on who the question inferred.

"Oh... I... I guess... I mean... Yes. Of course, she does." He stumbled over his answer and when she glanced up and saw that he blanched to a shade above cooked eggs whites, she instantly regretted her tactic.

"That is... That is good to hear." Her voice broke at the end from the strain of trying to force a completely neutral reply.

"What... About you? Your beau treatin' you good?" As the rushed concern was mumbled his cheeks started to turn pink and that little bit of color seemed to brighten up his whole face. Allowing the flashes of him lying still and white on the bed he was propped up in to slow and her mind to process his articulation.

"My _beau?_ "

"It's what Fleur called Dean when she was talkin' to Ginny over Christmas." He said defensively before sitting up straighter and imitating the witch he spoke about. "'How ez your beau at Hogwartz, Ginny?' or "Do you think your beau will be attending zee wedding?'"

She took a moment to be impressed by how well he did at the impersonation. He really did have a talent... The only other person she knew who could do that with such precision was Ginny. Did all of the Weasleys have the talent or just the youngest two? Was it a natural happening or did they need to practice at it?

An image of a young Ron and Ginny entered her mind, back before either of them had started at Hogwarts. They were sitting at the family's dining table and instead of working on the lesson Mrs. Weasley had assigned them, they were critiquing the others' parody of her. She could almost hear the resulting argument that was bound to have happened from hurt feelings...

Used to the way she sometimes got lost in her thoughts Ron slipped a hand from behind his head and waved it to get her attention.

The visual disappeared and she blinked hard a few times as a way to reacclimate to where she was. Quickly she remembered what he was waiting for from her and she stared him in the eye steadily as she lied. "I have no idea who or what you are talking about. I do not have any beau."

Relief seeped into his features even though she saw how hard he was trying to hide it. "Oh... I thought you said that you moved on... You know, the last time that we actually talked."

"I never said that I moved on with someone. I simply meant that I was done being taken for granted and wouldn't be there when you decided to stop being a jerk." Hermione clarified tersely. Annoyed by both, the fact that he hadn't seemed to have gotten much out of her lecture and how they stumbled into the conversation she agonized over for days.

"Well... That's... Somethin'." He choked out as he caved under her unrelenting stare and glanced down to the parchment in his lap. "I guess I assumed..."

"Do you know what they say about assuming Ronald?"

"...No. What?"

"They say it makes an ass out of you _and_ me. So you should definitely work on that." She said snapping the book in her own lap closed before placing it in the bag at her feet.

Confused by one of her father's favorite muggle quotes, he sat there working it over before realizing what she was doing. He pushed the homework in his lap to the side with a horrified look on his face. "You... You are not leavin' are you?"

When she stood he scrambled to try and join her but instantly fell back so he was sitting on the edge of the bed, all color draining from his face. She rushed over helped him lay back against the pillows, cursing at him under her breath the whole time. Her worst fear had come true. The last thing she wanted was him to hurt and her being the cause!

Once he was positioned correctly she turned away, tears in her eyes. "I'm going to get Pomfrey."

He reached out and grasped her wrist to stop her. His calloused hands were so unlike the ones she had grown accustomed to. The simple gesture that she would have been ecstatic over a few months before only sent a shiver to travel up her spine, before she was able to determine the cause he whispered. "No. _Don't go._ Please, I've missed you... and Harry."

The weak cover-up had her closing her eyes tightly as a couple tears fell down her cheeks. She wanted more than anything to run away but she found herself nodding and then sitting back down once he let go of the grip he had on her. Her voice was shaky when she eventually spoke. "I can stay for a few more minutes but I have rounds tonight. And I really think Pomfrey should have a look at you."

"I will be fine. Don't go makin' a fuss over me bein' stupid alright?" He begged her. Closing his eyes underneath a brow that shone with sweat.

She glared down at the floor and stayed quiet against her better judgment, hoping the decision wasn't as stupid as it felt...

"Hermione?" Ron whispered.

"Yes?"

"I... I'm sorry. For _everything_ , okay? Fred and George are right, I really am a reincarnated bobotuber."

She shook her head but stood up and made her way over to his side and sat down next to him. Making eye contact once his opened, checking why the bed had shifted from her added weight, she reached up and brushed a few strands of hair gently from his forehead as she said. "You really _really_ are."

They both started laughing. She went to pull her hand away but he grabbed it and placed it so her palm was on his chest, directly above his heart. The thin fabric of his shirt the flimsy barrier between their skin. "We are going to be okay, right?"

Her stomach turned at the implication that came with the context of the question. She slipped her hand from his grasp but patted his pectoral reassuringly. "Of course. We will always be friends, Ron. We might argue... a lot, but we figure it out."

His eyes dropped from hers and he nodded. "Good."

"And while you are giving this whole mending relationships thing a go... You should talk to the mandrake. She is wailing about you to everyone who will listen." She suggested, knowing he had been pretending to be asleep every time the witch had stopped in.

"I will."

"Good" His short recognition was as fitting as any she could come up with given the uncomfortable nature of the moment.

He relaxed back against the soft pillows and let his eyes close again. It took only a few seconds of quiet for him to lose the battle against the healing solace of sleep. Under her hand, his chest started to rise and fall in a rhythmic motion and she knew that she was safe to leave his side and go about her business for the night. Still, she stayed where she was seated and fussed with his blanket.

Waiting for some kind of official sign that he was unharmed by her visit...

 **-\/-\/-\/-\/-\/-**

As she teetered on the edge of sleep later that night, she thought about how that validation never materialized causing her to be more than fifteen minutes late to her Prefect duties. Not that anyone had noticed, thankfully, but it was a bad habit that she did not want to sustain. Particularly since those responsibilities were her fall back excuse any time she needed to sneak off.

Those stolen suspended instances with the hidden parts of Draco were not something she could give up. Even though she could never admit the truth to Ron or anyone... He made her happy.

Somehow one of her worst tormentors had come to make her happier than she had been in almost a year.

When she woke up, she was lost in a hoard that could only be the Room of Requirement. Confused by the swift change in her surroundings she looked to her left and then to the right, confirming that she was alone. No longer safe in the confines of her bed, her heart started to race in her chest which only caused the beat to pound in her ears, shattering the ominous silence.

There was no way to tell which direction to travel to try to find the door and she froze for a second. Afraid she would never be able to work her way out of the maze of objects.

" _Help!_ Help me... Someone! Please!" She called out, even though it felt pointless. Who did she expect to arrive and save her this time?

Hermione stood there and listened to her voice echo back at her, unsure of how she should proceed. Curling up into a ball and letting the anxiety that had trickled into her veins take over seemed the most plausible strategy. However, somewhere deep in the back of her mind, the will of self-preservation told her to move and gather enough information to work out a way to the exit.

Instinctively she knew that she did not have her wand, but she still checked the pockets of her pajamas and wasn't surprised when she came up empty. It was hard to shake the feeling of inadequacy without the connection to magic. She had no way to defend herself or even light her way so she could see properly.

So her whole body shook as she took her first step into the labyrinth, completely vulnerable to anything the room decided to throw at her. A few more steps and she realized just how useless wandering aimlessly was. She needed to get her bearings to be able to figure out which direction she needed to head...

Quickly she scrambled over to the nearest sturdy-looking pile of furniture and hoped that climbing to the top would give her enough height. After double checking that the whole thing wouldn't crash down once she started her ascent, she gripped the top edge of the wardrobe she would have to scale first. As soon as she went to pull herself up the silence that had only been broken by her hitched breathing since her appearance there, exploded.

Not one but two recognizable voices came from nowhere. They spoke at the exact same time, overlapping one another.

"What are you doing here?" Draco inquired, his tone almost taunting.

"How did you get here?" Ron asked the worry for her safety was notable.

She stumbled back and nearly fell on her behind before catching her balance. To her right stood Draco. To her left Ron. They were far enough down their separate directions that she had to turn her head to the side to see them, that way her attention could only be given to one at a time. Frozen from the shock that neither had seemed to notice the other she stayed silent. Glancing back and forth, waiting for the spell to break.

Once again when they spoke it was unison.

"Come on. Let's get out of here." Ron pressured, reaching out for her to take his hand.

"Are you lost, Kitten?" Draco was, of course, harder to read. The way the corner of his lips turned down betrayed how he really felt about her ending up here. "All you have to do is _ask_ for help..."

Uncertainty flooded through her stiffened muscles. Would they both answer if she asked a question? Would it fracture whatever blocked them from seeing each other? Would either of them listen to her long enough to not engage? Without answers she couldn't risk the alternatives, so she stayed where she was. Her lips smashed in a firm line as her eyes flickered between one of her best friends and her inflammatory lover.

"Quit playin' around! We need to go. _Now!_ " Gesturing frantically for her to step towards him, she could tell that Ron was starting to lose his patience with her indecision.

"Oh right. I forgot. Why would you want help from someone like me?" Draco sneered over at her, the cold hard mask fighting to cover the hurt that swirled in the gray depths as she stared into his eyes at the last moment.

As much as she wanted to scream out her frustration, she clenched her jaw and shook her head no. The sudden realization of exactly what was needed of her was too overwhelming to even comprehend. There was no way in hell she could choose... Not when Ron's worry and Draco's distress made it literally feel like her heart was being pulled in two.

Instantaneously they both apparated, reappearing only inches from her shoulder on their respective sides. Both leaned over so she could feel their warmth radiated on her skin and both of their tones were laced with newfound malice when they spoke next.

"What is wrong? I am suddenly shit now that the Weasel appeared?! Why don't you choose him like we both know you want to bitch?"

"You cannot be serious Hermione. You whored yourself out to a snake? For what? A couple of minutes of fun! Just go with him why don't you?!"

Barely able to breathe around the sobs that tried to burst from her chest, she kept shaking her head. Denying their horribly ugly accusations in the only way available to her. Somehow she knew that if she tried defending herself against one she would be deprived of the chance with the other and she couldn't risk that. Not when she needed them both so badly for such different reasons.

For the first time since their sudden arrival they spoke separately, Ron stopped short of grabbing her hand but just barely before glaring down at her with venom. " _Say it. You want_ _him_."

Waiting his turn like a gentleman Draco then leaned forward and brushed some hair from her shoulder, careful not to let his fingers brush her skin. He leaned even closer and mockingly goaded. " _Spit it out 'Mione. You want him_."

The tears finally fell down her checks freely and she made sure to be staring straight ahead when she let her mouth form the word her brain had been shouting the whole time. " _NO!_ "

And she startled awake, in her bed, biting down on her bottom lip to stifle the scream that wanted to follow from the too real dream...

It took longer than normal to regulate her hitched breathing after a nightmare but that allowed her to examine the very clear message her subconscious was driven to impart. Her choice was going to come whether she was prepared for it or not. Someday... Probably soon, she would be forced to pick and there would be no easy escape like waking.

No, it would be brutal and a thousand times worse than any scenario that she could come up with. There was no doubt about that...

 **-\?/- -\?/- -\?/- -\?/- -\?/-**

 _Here it is guys!_

 _I hope you enjoyed as much as I enjoyed writing. Please leave a review letting me know what you thought! They really do give me a boost and make me feel all warm and fuzzy. :)_

 _Anyways... The next one is_ _the_ _chapter. I am so flipping excited (and nervous, lol)!_

 _My AooO readers are going to be very happy as well! Yippee!_

 _Hope your day/night is going well._

 _As always..._

 _Much love,_  
 _SlytherclawLuv_


	55. Chapter Fifty-Four

_Yup, I suck! I know it. I am sorry for leaving you hanging for so freaking long! Hopefully the fact that I went back and edited the crap out of (and updated) all the older chapters so they are easier to read..._ _AND_ _... I have a bunch of chapters stock piled to post every Friday means that I will be forgiven. My plan is to use time wisely between updates so I can finish up Anyone But Me and get started on the next story in the series. That way you have a steady stream of updates, even if something comes up._

 _Anyways..._

 _Here it is! I am soooo excited and nervous to be sharing this one with you guys. If you do not remember this is the prompt (inspired by a dream that wouldn't leave me alone) that started this whole thing._

 _Obviously, I hope you like it! If you do, you know the drill!_

 **-\?/- -\?/- -\?/- -\?/- -\?/-**

Hermione stood under the scalding spray of water from the shower in the Prefect's bathroom, letting the warmth ease the taunt set to her muscles for what felt like the hundredth time that night. Between Ron and Harry she wasn't sure if the Death Eaters would ever get their chance to kill her, not if the impending heart attack did her in first. Thankfully Neville had restrained her from cursing the manhood from McLaggen for the bludger to the head that had knocked Harry from his broom during the Quidditch match earlier in the day.

She'd had to leave both of her friends behind in the hospital wing. Unable to wait for Harry to wake because of Madame Pomfrey strictly enforcing visiting hours, she had quickly decided she needed to avoid the noisy chatter of the common room and dorms. Every single time she'd tried to concentrate on her studies, someone else had come up to inquire about the Gryffindor Captain's well-being. So it was unlikely she would of been able to accomplish much more than gossip anyway…

With little thought behind it she had fallen back on what was fast becoming her standby excuse, but instead of slinking up to visit Draco, she had followed through and already finished up a lengthy hygiene regime. The one that most girls her age engaged in regularly, yet she had deemed silly long ago. She had shaved, exfoliated and conditioned every inch of her body. It felt hedonistic to allow herself the luxury when she normally only soaked in the bath with a book.

Her newly bare skin was like satin and extra sensitive to touch. The softness of her robe on her back as she double checked her work in the mirror. The chill in the air when she slipped it off altogether and stepped back into the hot, almost burning, lure of the water. Each sensation had sent a shiver down her spine that centered in that spot deep in her stomach. She had not guessed that she would feel so... so _sexy_ , when she was done.

A welcome surprise, considering the effort put in. She closed her eyes and concentrated on the feeling of water hitting her scalp. The way the extra weight flowing through her curls tugged them down, vaguely reminding her of the feeling of having a certain set of hands pulling on them. Idly she ran her hands across her stomach, choking back a moan, but didn't dare go any farther considering the audience she had.

The "sleeping" mermaid positioned across the room could not see her but was still enough of a deterrent to stop her from doing anything more than the perfunctory necessities. She let her hands fall back down to her sides and sighed as she tried to keep her concentration on more tedious thoughts.

Just as she was going to reach forward and turn the shower off a disturbing rustling hinted that she was no longer alone. Before she could attempt to evaluate her surroundings or even go for her wand that sat nestled in the pocket of her robe, a distorted voice reached her under the stream coming from the faucet. "Leaving so soon? I was about to join you..."

Even warped as it was, she knew who the voice belonged to without looking. An odd mixture of relief and crossness swept the last remnants of libido from her system as she stepped from the warmth and glared over at the speaker. " _What are you doing here, Draco?!_ "

"I... uh... I came to talk to you." The smug act melted away as he stumbled over his confession. As if ashamed, he stared down at the floor for a moment, his jaw clenching before he continued. "Potter got himself laid up in the hospital wing so it isn't like he can spy on me tonight. So our little secret is still perfectly safe. I just... I can't talk to anyone about... Anything that is going on and... I needed to see you."

Any unfavorable emotion was quickly forgotten as how strained he sounded sunk in . She took slow deliberate steps towards him. Completely naked and dripping water. her concern stifled the ordinary decorum that would cause her to care. "I am here. What... What happened?"

When she finally stood directly in front of him and was able to take a proper appraisal of his condition, she was shocked at the difference from the person she had gone on a date with a week ago. Most startling were his eyes... Red from crying and framed by dark circles that betrayed how long it had been since he had slept last, there was a fanatical gleam to them. She was struck with the illogical desire to be able to make him eat something and then sleep for a few hours, but she settled for asking her question again. " _Tell me Draco_. What happened? Why did you show up here instead of using the necklace?"

"I... When I got back to my common room tonight there was a letter waiting for me." He whispered as he continued to stare down at their feet. Refusing to make eye contact with her, she watched as his eyes filled with unshed tears. He cleared his throat roughly before trying to carry on with his explanation. "They... They... Oh shit, Granger. They are going to... They are going to hurt her!"

Her mouth snapped shut as she realized who he was talking about. There was only one who person who could ever elicit a response like that from him. His mother was going to be attacked by one of her own from the sounds of it. The reality that no one was safe any more was violently reaffirmed to her and she wracked her brain for the appropriate response.

Draco didn't wait for her reply, he collapsed to his knees and pressed his forehead against her bare stomach as he sobbed openly. "Th..They are going to torture my mother. All... All because I am not good enough. N..N..Not... Not smart enough and she is going to beg for death if I don't figure it out."

She reached up and ran a hand through his hair in a reassuring gesture as her mind remained blank on what to say to the horrific news. Instead she focused on the task of attempting to calm the frenzied caged animal that wrapped his arms tightly around her waist. Letting him cry himself hoarse, she knew that was what he was truly looking for, an outlet for the overwhelming hopelessness of the situation. When his weeping shifted to soft whimpers he finally looked up at her and she told him the truth. "I don't know what to say... Other than I am sorry, Draco."

"Don't say anything... Just... _Help me_." He begged as he closed his eyes and hid his face against the skin of her lower stomach before mumbling. "Distract me... Please."

"How?" The question was meant to be internal but slipped from her lips as she looked around desperately for an answer.

"I don't care." He pulled away from her and stood up, wiping at the tears that once again threatened to start falling down his face. "Make me... Make me remember why it's worth it to stay here."

Once more she wracked her brain to come up with an idea when they had less distractions available to them than what was provided in his small hidden oasis. Glancing over her shoulder she saw the steam that poured out of the stall and bit down on her bottom lip for half a second as she debated with the voice inside of her. The one that spoke of all her insecurities and apprehensiveness, attempting to dissuade her. Eventually she reached over and slipped her hand into his. "Okay. Come with me."

With little coaxing he followed behind her until she stopped and positioned him at the entrance to the shower. She turned around and brought her shaky hands to the top button of his customary white dress shirt. It was uncharacteristically wrinkled and she couldn't be sure if it was caused by the heat trapped in the room or if it had been that way when he had appeared. Slowly her fingers worked their way down loosening each fasten so that when she was done she could stare at his pale skin taut over the chest she knew so intimately.

Completely still he stood there allowing her to take her time. Even when she had fumbled with a button he had stayed frozen under her hands. Clearly perplexed by the turn she had taken.

"Take it off." Hermione commanded gently, gesturing for him to hand her the shirt.

"Well this certainly wasn't what I was expecting..." His eyebrow cocked teasingly as he attempted to pull the cover of self-assuredness back on. Apparently not keen to argue, he shrugged out of the fabric and passed it over.

She shook her head as she turned around and made her way over to where she had stashed her own clothing. Being offended that he wasn't able to keep his guard down for long wouldn't do any good, especially not when he needed her. "That is not what this is about. Now... Take off the rest of your clothes and get in."

"You are a bossy little witch." He ribbed as he reached down and started on his belt.

A quick roll of her eyes was the only response she gave before folding his shirt carefully and placing it on top of her pile. After giving him a decent amount of time to finish undressing she turned back and sighed. Annoyed at the sloppily bundled ball of cloth he held in his arms and the way he had kicked his shoes off to the side. "Bring them here."

It was his turn to shake his head but he quietly complied, placing the pile in her own out-stretched arms as she instructed. "Go get in the water."

She watched him dutifully followed her guidance, waiting until he had completely disappeared into the billowing steam before allowing her nervousness to show. The time that it took to disentangle the mess in her arms was woefully insufficient! She had never done anything comparable to what she was about to do and wasn't sure she could pull it off... Not when her hands shook with trepidation and he was only feet away waiting for her...

Reminded of why it was so important to move, she gathered enough courage to walk over to the occupied stall.

Draco stood under the heavy spray with his head hung forward and his shoulders turned in, looking utterly broken. It was distressing to see him that defeated. The fact that he had not gotten angry like when his father had been locked up was very telling on his current state. As if he sensed that he was no longer alone his head snapped up with a hateful glare that instantly soften when he realized that it was her.

She gave him a weak smile that wasn't returned before stepping back into the hot water. Careful not to brush her body against his, she slipped around him, avoiding eye contact. While she was a strong woman... It was better not to tempt Fate, particularly not when they were this close.

Once behind him she let out a trapped breath and grabbed her loofa along with the lavender soap from the spot near the wall where she had left them. Silently she lathered up and then set the bar of soap back down on the sheet of plastic that it was stored in. Taking the time she needed to reaffirm her choice in distraction...

When she turned back around she saw that he had reverted to his earlier stance, which caused her to hesitate momentarily. Startling him again was a bad idea, so she cleared her throat to reveal that she was directly behind and spoke loud enough for him to hear her over the rhythm of the water falling. "Are you... Are you ready?"

He sighed deeply and then nodded. Keeping his head forward, he didn't peek to get any indication of her plans.

Her hand trembled as she pressed the soapy bundle against his shoulder and slid it slowly across to the other. The magically infused scent of lavender enveloped them both and instantly started to relax them both, reminding her too much of the prescribed calming potions she had stopped taking. She did not usually use this particular restorative but it had seemed like a good idea considering her original mission for the evening. Nicks and cuts from shaking were never fun, even worse on the more intimate areas...

Deliberately she worked her way down his back, over his rear and along each leg. As she went she named each muscle to distract herself from the intimate act she was partaking in. Finished with his backside she rose up into a standing position and circled around so she could start on the front.

When she looked up a soft gray reflected back in his stare instead of the hardness she had expected and his lips finally pulled up into a half-hearted smirk. He leaned forward, his frame blocked any of the water from splashing into her face as he questioned. "What exactly is all this about then, Kitten?"

"Allowing me to take care of you." Hermione answered candidly as she brought the loofa across his collarbone.

"I wonder if you realize how indecent that sounded..."

"Well it wasn't meant that way..." She washed each of his arms, making sure to keep her eyes locked on his as they bantered back and forth.

"What if I do not want decent?" He asked, his eyebrow raising at the end like a question mark.

"That is not really my problem is it? You know... Considering you were not sympathetic the last time we met." The sound of his chuckle at her easygoing prodding sent her heart racing but he didn't give any other response. She found herself working in silence as she started on his chest and slowly made her way down his stomach. His eyes fluttered closed as she paused her descent just above his pubic bone.

She felt rather than heard his next snicker, undoubtedly prompted by her shyness. It flushed her cheeks with heat but she was unwilling to surrender to the meek cowardly voice inside of her head. Determined to finish, she brought her hand further down, cleaning with an almost clinical outlook on the whole procedure. She did not want to be forced to admit that his teasing had affected her in any way.

Especially not when he had come searching for a friend to confide in...

Crouching down she proceeded to wash the front each leg and foot distracting herself with how the rivulets of water flowed through the fine pale hair. Washing away the bubbly evidence of her methodical cleansing... When she was finally done she quickly stood and circled back around, wringing the water from the loofa and set it aside.

"Would you like for me to wash your hair?" She asked over her shoulder, reaching for her bottle of shampoo in anticipation of his answer.

Unexpectedly his playfully mocking whisper sounded in her ear as his hands grasped her ribs and slid down her bent frame until they stopped at her hips. " _No._ I do not want you to wash my hair."

She jolted under his grip, amazed at the way he could sneak up on her. All thoughts of staying considerate of his emotional well being above everything else were instantly banished as he leaned over her, pressing his wet body tightly against hers. Gods, he felt so good!

He wasted no time when she didn't object and roughly pulled the long strands of curls that clung to her body to the side so that he could nip and then kiss the skin on her shoulder. Involuntarily a moan fell from her lips which only encouraged him to continue, moving up to the even more tender flesh of her neck and ear. Somehow the added heat from the shower managed to heighten the whole experience to agonizing levels.

By the time his lips found their way to hers, she was panting and could feel her need for him dripping down her inner thighs. She eagerly returned the rough, almost animalistic, kiss before shifting so that she had a better angle to take his bottom lip between her teeth. The movement caused her back to arch and her bum to grind against the evidence of his arousal.

A wild look that mirrored the frantic manic from Christmas settled back onto Draco's face as he pulled away enough to look down into her eyes. Just like that night she knew she should be afraid of the demanding forcefulness he exhibited. Yet the fear was still nowhere to be found, more so she wanted this unknown and seemingly unquenchable version of him. His grip kept her from wiggling underneath him while he searched for something in her reaction.

It took far too long for him to find whatever he wanted and she quickly grew impatient with his doubt. She wasn't sure what more she could do to make her desires known considering she had done everything but beg...

 **-\/- -\/- -\/- -\/- -\/-**

For a long stretch of time they both stood there panting strenuously in an attempt to catch their breaths as they slowly descended back into reality. Eventually she was the first to shift, pushing away from the chill of the wall that she was still wedged up against.

He mirrored her movements, wrapping his arms around her waist so she was encircled by his arms. Apparently unwilling to risk breaking the contact between their bodies, he laughed freely for a second before tucking his chin on top of her head and saying. "That was one hell of a distraction."

She laughed at the absurdity of the entire situation and chose to concentrate on enjoying the rather typical stolen moment. Permitting herself to imagine what it might be like for them to be a normal couple and able to do something as standard as embracing in public. The thought was preposterous, of course, but comforting nonetheless.

All too soon Draco pulled away and she looked back over her shoulder to watch as he slipped fully under the water, washing the remnants of their copulation from his lower half. With his usual quick sure movements, it seemed that the burden of his circumstances had been lifted, even if only momentarily. The reassurance granted her the ability to guiltlessly continue to ride the high of endorphins coursing through her body.

Once he was done she took his place and tried to discreetly clean herself with his gaze locked onto her. A blush colored her cheeks at the returned act of voyeurism but her lips lifted to return the soft smile that relaxed the normally hard set to his features. "What?"

He shook his head before giving her his characteristic smirk and not answering the question. Alternatively he turned and sauntered from the shower leaving her to finish up and collect her things in solitude.

It did not take her long to join him but he was still already dressed and staring up at the oversized stained glass depiction of the mermaid sunning herself on a rock that was situated above the bath. The inhabitant continued to dutifully pretend she was fast asleep. A farce that was broken when the naiad snuck a look from beneath her lashes as Draco suddenly declared. "Thank you."

Confused on who his gratitude was aimed towards for a second, she slowly made her way over and stepped up next to him. Irrationally afraid of the answer being something ugly or offensive, she shoved her clenched hands into the pocket of her robe before asking. " _For?_ "

"Everything..." He glanced at her out of the corner of his eye, not expounding on his vague description.

She nodded and shrugged but kept her gaze forward on the oddly beautiful creature as she responded. "You are supposed to be there for the people you care about, right?"

A weighted silence filled the room at her offhanded recognition of her feelings and she instantly regretted it when he didn't respond. Internally she chided herself for the lack of tack and went to turn away so she could get dressed instead of standing there continuing to look stupid.

In anticipation of her move his hand darted out and grabbed the excess fabric on the sleeve of her robe, stopping her progression. He patiently waited for her to look directly at him before he finally answered her question. "Yes, of course."

She nodded again, knowing the movement was much more awkward and jerky than she wanted it to be. Somehow she found the nerve to say the words that had ping-ponged around her head as she held him during his outburst earlier. "So it wouldn't be reaching for me to say that you should go to someone. D... Dumbledore... Maybe? Hell, even the Minister! Anyone who has the resources to be able to help you! I will... I mean if you wanted me to, I could go with you."

His hand finally loosened its grip from where it clutched her sleeve, he took a step back as if she had slapped him. "I can't go to anyone. He has spies everywhere and she would be dead before a plan could be formulated. I just..."

"You what? You are just supposed to be tortured in absolute silence?" She interrupted. Shaking her head at the unfairness and attempting to blink away the tears that threatened to escape down her cheeks.

"Yes." He stated simply, the cold hard mask she despised falling firmly into place. "Now drop it."

"Draco... I..."

"You what? You want to be the hero and _fix_ everything with a wave of your magic wand like a true Gryffindor? That isn't the way the _real_ world works, okay? So listen to me and _drop it_!" He snapped, taking another step away from her.

"Okay. I am sorry, I didn't... I don't..." Hermione floundered, unsure of what to say because he was right... All she wanted to do was fix it for him and there was no easy step by step way to fix this one.

Another long pause held them both in limbo, afraid to say the wrong thing and send them into full blown argument. He was the one who sighed and broke the tension by closing the distance he had put between them and taking her into his arms. "I know."

She hid her face in his chest and took a deep breath to calm her racing heartbeat. Trying and failing to come up with the correct thing to say, she kept quiet and wrapped her arms around his waist. Thankful that the uncomplicated gesture seemed to be enough to say everything neither of them were able to vocalize.

After a deep breath that sent a tremor throughout his body, Draco pulled back and cupped her cheek, tilting her head so she had to look at him. "I have to go."

"No you don't." She whispered with a defeated sigh.

"Yes, I do."

"No you don't, but you are going to anyway."

"There are things that I need to do and you need to go get some sleep."

She nodded and took a step back, breaking the physical contact so he wouldn't feel the way her whole body went rigid. While deep down she knew that he wasn't running from her only the feeling of impotence that her suggestion had invoked, it did not stop the rejection from creeping into the pit of her stomach. "Okay."

"Okay." He echoed her detached response but stayed where he was, his hesitation on what to do next was tangible.

Hermione stood completely still, waiting for him to come to a decision. When he finally did, he advanced forward and closed the space between them again. Standing at her side, he placed a quick kiss to her cheek and whispered in her ear. "Good night, Kitten."

She was distracted by the relief she felt at his small reassurance. It caused a genuine smile to cross her lips and she almost missed her chance for her goodbye as he quickly walked away. She managed to call out over her shoulder before hearing the heavy click of the door closing. "Good night, Draco!"

Looking around, she felt a surreal denial settle in around her along with the quiet. The whole night seemed as if it was just another super realistic dream that she was soon to awaken from. She even stood there for a few more seconds, blinking hard and waiting for the inevitable arousal.

When it didn't come, she slowly turned and went to dress. A process made sluggish as the last of the feel-good hormones faded from her system, making her aware of an uncomfortable pinching between her legs and a soreness that spread through her thighs and lower back. By the time she was done she already dreaded the walk up to Gryffindor Tower.

Exhausted, both physically and mentally. Her life had to be some big cosmic joke at this point. The universe kept throwing things she was neither ready nor capable of handling at her, in a reckless attempt to see how much shit she would be able to take before breaking into a million little pieces.

And yet... She was reminded that this could only be a small fraction of the overwhelming wretchedness that Draco was feeling...

Desperate to voice the question that continued to reverberate inside her head, she looked back up to the sentient entity that shimmered in the candle light above her as she slipped her packed bag onto her shoulder in preparation of her travels. The mermaid openly stared down at her now, her concern somehow readable regardless of being etched in glass.

" _How_...? How am I supposed to help him...?"


	56. Chapter Fifty-Five

_I told all you witches (and wizards) I was back for realz this time! ;)_

 _This week I am doing two updates (one today and one tomorrow) as a special thank you to my returning readers. You guys are definitely something I am thankful for today and every dang day. You keep me working hard on this beast (even if it is just behind the scenes). So yeah... You all deserve two new chapters for being such awesome people._

 _To my American Readers, I hope your day is filled with laughter, love and lots of good food today. If, for whatever reason, it cannot be... Know you are not alone and are in the thoughts of this grateful writer._

 _Now that all the mushy crap is outta the way..._

 _This is another chapter that is from the books (Chapter 21). Fair warning that some of the dialogue has been tweaked slightly._

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The question kept nagging at her over the following days. It became a near constant unwanted litany that was always there. Waiting for a slow moment where her mind wasn't distracted by school work or her other responsibilities to creep up and badger her already frayed nerves.

How?... How?... How?

And the same deafening silence that had met her inquiry that night always answered her. What more could she do when he had spurned her attempt to convince him to go to someone for actual help?

Other than betray him and reach out herself...

An option that kept coming back during her ruminations. She hated the thought. Deceiving Draco after gaining the meager amount of trust she had would be absolutely unforgivable. Tantamount to Delilah's treasonous actions against Samson and that was if he was incorrect and Narcissa Malfoy was somehow saved. If she did end up perishing... Hermione would be lucky to survive long with the woman's blood on her hands.

So respectfully she refrained, worried about what her inaction could also lead to. Her dreams brought to life her mute imaginings in horrible detail. It surprised her no one picked up on the more obvious signs of the underlying tension in her life. From the copious volume of caffeine she ingested every day to the way she stiffened every time she walked into the Great Hall expecting the mood at the Slytherin table to alert her that something had happened... Everything about her decorum felt like it screamed there was something wrong.

Granted she _did_ work hard to continue to project that everything was fine. Maybe better than fine considering the fact that Ron was back and things were slowly working their way to normal. As long as he wasn't having to run off to placate the sucker fish about spending purely platonic time with her, The spiteful part of her enjoyed that she got under the girl's skin, even Harry always being with them did little to staunch her jealousy.

A little over a week after Draco's unexpected visit Hermione sat in front of the crackling fire in the common room with Harry and Ron. She had just handed Ron back his essay on dementors that had been thoroughly mangled by a worn out Spell-Check quill when all of a sudden a loud pop pierced the relaxed stillness.

Her squeal of surprise was quickly cut off as Harry exclaimed excitedly. "Kreacher!"

Ron's use some of the more fouler curses he knew, as he watched fresh ink pool out of the inkwell he had accidentally tipped over and soak into the almost completed task, became background noise to Kreacher's bowed greeting. "Master said he wanted regular reports on what the Malfoy boy is doing, so Kreacher has come to give..."

Another crack produced Dobby at the older house elf's side, looking rather frazzled with his tea-cozy hat lopsided on his head and a disgruntled glare for his companion. "Dobby has been helping too, Harry Potter! And Kreacher ought to tell Dobby when he is coming to see Harry Potter so they can make their reports together!"

She sat there frozen in shock as her eyes flicked between Harry and the two elves in turn. The realization of what the sudden appearances and unexpected words meant took a few seconds to sink in. When it finally did, she tried to keep her anger in check as she asked for verification. "What is this? What is going on Harry?"

"Well... They... They've been following Malfoy for me." He admitted hesitantly.

"Night and day." Confirmed Kreacher, who continued to stare at his toes with a baleful glare.

"Dobby has not slept in a week, Harry Potter!" Dobby interjected proudly. The house elf swayed slightly, as if suddenly registering just how sleep deprived his little body was.

Compartmentalizing the anger she felt at the ramifications the truth had for her and Draco, Hermione decided to deal with the more immediate issue. "Surely, Harry, you didn't tell him not to..."

" _No!_ Of course, I didn't!" Harry defended himself and quickly rushed on. "Dobby, you can sleep, alright!? But has either of you found out anything?"

"Master Malfoy moves with the nobility that befits his pure blood." Croaked Kreacher. "His features recall the fine bones of my mistress and his manners are those of..."

"Draco Malfoy is a _bad_ boy! A bad boy who... who..." Dobby cut in impatiently. Abruptly the elf went to throw himself into the fire but Harry caught him around the middle, holding the struggling being until he went limp and panted. "Thank you, Harry Potter... Dobby still finds it difficult to speak ill of his old master."

Renewed by some invisible burst of energy the tiny house elf stood up, fixed his makeshift hat and said defiantly to his unwilling partner in espionage. "But Kreacher should know that Draco Malfoy is not a good master to a house elf."

Hermione sat there quietly as the memory of Draco's macabre joke about her surprise being a house elf's hand took on a darker light. She blanched and had to take a slow deep breath to curb the sudden bout of nausea that rose up.

"Yeah, we don't need to hear about you being in love with Malfoy. Let's fast forward to where he's actually been going." Harry told Kreacher.

The old elf bowed again before answering with a tone full of malice. "Master Malfoy eat in the Great Hall, he sleeps in a dormitory in the dungeons, he attends his classes in a variety of..."

Clearly annoyed Harry interrupted the purposely generalized response and turned his attention back to the other elf. "Dobby, you tell me. Has he been going anywhere he shouldn't have?"

Her heart beat started to hammer in her chest. How long had they been following him? Just the week Dobby had mentioned? Or... Or was it longer? What exactly had they seen? She tried to take another deep breath as she waited for the answer but the tightness in her chest wouldn't allow it. The resulting violent tremble in her hands had her clutching her knees in an effort to cover it up.

"Harry Potter, sir, the Malfoy boy is breaking no rules that Dobby can discover but he is still keen to avoid detection." Dobby squeaked, nervously rubbing hands together before continuing. "He has been making regular trips to the seventh floor with a variety of other students, who keep watch for him while he enters..."

" _The Room of Requirement!_ " Harry said excitedly, smacking himself on the forehead with his Potions book. "That's where he has been sneaking off to! That's where he's doing... whatever he is doing! And I bet that is why he's been disappearing off the map. Come to think of it, I have never seen the Room of Requirement on there!"

"Maybe the Marauders never knew the room was there." Ron offered up as an explanation.

Finally able to breathe and fill her burning lungs when it became clear that neither of Harry's spies knew anything about their relationship, Hermione offered up the only thing that had made sense to her when Harry first became obsessive. "I think it is part of the magic of the room. If you need it to be Unplottable, it will be."

Relief and sorrow at losing the only obscurity she and Draco had to work under made an odd mixture in her stomach, causing it to roll again. She had to swallow hard to keep herself from gagging and losing her supper.

"Dobby, have you managed to get in to have a look at what Malfoy's doing?" Harry asked eagerly.

"No, Harry Potter, that is impossible." Dobby said, confirming what she already knew.

"No it's not. Malfoy got into our headquarters there last year so I'll be able to get in and spy on him. No problem." The boy argued cheerfully. She could plainly see the new plan forming inside of his head. Adding fuel to the fire of his fixation.

Trying to bring some rationale to the conversation she started slowly, hoping in vain that he would listen. "I don't think you will, Harry. Malfoy already knew exactly how we were using the room because that stupid Marietta had blabbed. He needed the room to become the headquarters of the D.A., so it did. But you do not know what the room becomes when Malfoy goes in there, so you can't possibly know what to ask it to transform into."

"There will be a way around that." Harry said dismissively before turning to the younger house elf. "You've done brilliantly, Dobby."

She watched as the other ancient elf's glare narrowed even more and she spoke up attempting to placate the magical being. "Kreacher's done well too."

As always, Kreacher reacted negatively to her attention. His eyes rolled from his toes up to the ceiling and croaked loudly. "The Mudblood is speaking to Kreacher. Kreacher will pretend he cannot hear..."

"Oh, get out of it!" Snapped Harry, instantly pissed at the use of the offensive word. The house elf happily followed the command, disapperating after taking a low bow of forced respect. Much more nicely Harry dismissed Dobby. "You had better go and get some sleep too."

"Thank you, Harry Potter, sir!"

Nearly trembling from his giddiness at the compliments heaped on him the tiny elf immediately disappeared. Leaving the room empty except from the three of them once again. Harry turned back towards her and Ron, his green eyes shining feverishly in the shadows cast on his face by the fire. "How good is this?! We know where Malfoy is going! We have him cornered now!"

"Yeah, it's great." Ron said dolefully. His tone was the opposite of the excitement their friend was looking for as he tried to mop up the drying ink that had erased all of his hard work.

Grateful for something to give her a few moments to think before responding, Hermione reached over and pulled the sodden parchment in front of her. She siphoned the ink off with her wand absentmindedly, letting her mind wander. Her inner thoughts falling from her lips before she even made the choice to voice them. "But what is all this about him going up there with a variety of students? How many people are in on it? You wouldn't think he'd trust lots of them to know what he is doing..."

Hell, she _knew_ he wouldn't. There was no way he would bring multiple people into whatever he was doing for Voldemort. Not when he wouldn't trust her with any kind of information about it and she had proven herself trustworthy by staying quiet about his mark.

"That is weird." Harry recognized, frowning. "I heard him telling Crabbe it wasn't his business what he was doing... So what is he telling all these... all these..."

He trailed off in thought for a second before suddenly sitting up, animated again. "Gods, I've been so stupid. It is obvious, isn't it? There was a great vat of it down in the dungeon. He could've nicked some any time during that lesson..."

"Nicked what?" Ron asked the natural follow-up question to the unfollowable ramblings.

"Polyjuice Potion! He stole some of the Polyjuice Potion Slughorn showed us in our first lesson! There are not a whole variety of students standing guard for Malfoy... It's just Crabbe and Goyle, as usual... Yes, it all fits!" Harry continued his rantings as he stood and started to pace back and forth in front of them. "They're stupid enough to do what they're told even if he won't tell them what he's up to... But he doesn't want them to be seen lurking around outside the Room of Requirement, so he has them taking Polyjuice to make them look like other people! Those two girls I saw him with... Crabbe and Goyle!"

"Do you... do you mean to say that the little girl whose scales I repaired?" Her voice was hushed as she worked over his words. It made sense for Draco to have guards during the day. He couldn't guarantee his safety or privacy with students able to walk by at any time.

"Yeah, of course! Malfoy must have been inside the room at the time, so she -what am I talking about- _he_ dropped the scales to tell Malfoy not to come out because there was someone there! And that girl who dropped the toadspawn too! We've been walking past him all the time and not realizing it!" He said loudly, staring at her as if he expected her to come up with something to unravel his theory.

Unable to come up with anything she stared back silently, Ron interrupted the odd stand off with a guffaw and quickly exclaimed. "Blimey! He's got Crabbe and Goyle transformin' into girls! It's no wonder they don't look too happy these days. I am surprised they don't tell him to stuff it..."

"Well, they wouldn't if he's shown them his Dark Mark..." Harry explained impatiently.

The conversation getting much to close to the truth, Hermione tried derailing it. "Hmmm... The Dark Mark we don't even know exists..."

"We'll see!" Harry taunted her.

"Yes we will." She said with a sigh as she got up, his warranted confidence was irksome and she did not want to lash out. A quick stretch gave her time to gather her out of control thoughts before continuing. "But Harry... Before you get all excited, I still don't think you will be able to get into the Room of Requirement without knowing what's there first. And I also don't think you should forget that you are supposed to be concentrating on getting that memory from Slughorn."

Hermione grabbed her bag, sliding it on to her shoulder as she pierced him with a serious look that caused him to quickly drop his gaze from hers. Hurriedly walking away from the pair she called behind her. "Good night!"

Neither said anything and they both stayed completely silent as she made her way up the stairs and then closed the door to her dorm. She looked around at each of the beds, their curtains closed tightly to obscure the occupants from view and was glad that she didn't have to deal with any faked niceties.

Quickly getting ready for bed, she climbed under the covers and pulled her necklace from the confines of her pajama top. Her hands shook as she sent the message she knew would only bolster the seething hatred between the two boys.

 _House-elves_

It only took a couple of moments and the metal was heating the skin of her palm. She opened the clasp and looked down at his confused response.

 _What?_

Taking a deep breath she steadied her hand before answering.

 _Harry is watching_

 _House-elves_

This pause was longer. Draco undoubtedly struggling to come to terms with her unexpected revelation. Eventually the heat signaled he had replied and she looked at the elegant calligraphic script etched into the polished silver.

 _Shit_

His simple but precise synopsis had her shaking her head and closing the locket. There wasn't anything else to say...

She rolled onto her side and buried her face into her pillow to stifle the sobs that finally overtook her. Safe to allow the feelings of hopelessness to descend, she rocked back and forth in a desperate effort to soothe herself.

What were they going to do now...?


	57. Chapter Fifty-Six

With no end in sight to Harry's compulsive complex on catching her hero, Hermione was forced to admit there was no way to out smart him and two crafty house elves. Between the three of them she was pretty sure Draco was under near twenty-four hour monitoring and any hope of sneaking past them sans a costly invisibility cloak was pointless. While it was true that Draco could undeniably afford one, managing to get it through the upped security measures in the castle was a whole different task. Filch wasn't the smartest in the bunch but to assume he wouldn't spot something that suspicious was idiotic.

Her use of the Disillusionment Charm was shoddy at best... Doing the spell on herself was much harder than on an external target and she never knew when the peculiar feeling that accompanied the magic would fade and her form would suddenly pop back into perception. The absolute last thing she needed was to lose concentration, get caught and then snitched on. Or even worse, actually be caught by Harry hiding underneath his cloak.

No... It was much too risky a venture to try and undertake now...

Draco's clipped responses the few times she had reached out to check on him spoke to the fact that he understood the stakes. The manner in which he stalked around, jaw clenched tight and deliberately avoiding even looking in her direction, told her how hard he worked to keep the strain from everything that had happened in check. It quite literally pained her to know that she was a part of the cause.

As the hours slowly ticked by and turned into days she watched the manic gleam start to creep back into his eye. Telltale signs of paranoia cracked at his carefully crafted exterior, making him randomly check over his shoulder to survey his surroundings and fidget through most of their classes together. On edge, he made sure to be one of the first students through the door upon dismissal. His merry little band following quickly behind, seemingly oblivious to his inner turmoil.

Leaving her to deal with an unquenchable desperation to find any way to succeed in her mission to assist him. Even if she couldn't directly speak with him... Much less offer the appropriate support.

Again and again the thought to go to someone berated her. Reminding her that if anything happened, it would be _her_ fault for being too afraid of the consequences to act. The possibility of a woman's life hinging on her choice of continued cowardice or self-sacrificing bravery should have been an easy one but wasn't. Not when the woman in question had shown nothing but support for the regime the rest of her family had openly bolstered.

What if it was an act like with her son? What if she was truly in danger and this was not some sick game being played for Voldemort to get what he wanted? What if? What if? What if?

All of the unknowns were important factors in determining if it was worth losing everything for Draco's mother. She knew they shouldn't be, when in doing what was right none of it mattered, but they were. So she was stuck, silently hating herself and yet again trying to make sense of the unbelievable situation she had quite literally stumbled herself into.

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Late one night she found herself wandering after rounds, intent on making sure Harry was fast asleep before going anywhere near the dorms. She could not handle _another_ late night filled with theories on what Draco was up to and how they could stop him. Being trapped with her thoughts in the chilly dark corridors was preferable to the ramblings that were becoming more and more absurd with each passing conversation.

Well past the mandatory hours of internal self-flagellation for the night, she felt numb as she let her feet carry her without thought of a destination. There was no way to keep track of the time after being relieved of her duties at midnight, so all that she could do was guess at how long she had roamed before she stilled in front of a door.

When she looked around and orientated herself she realized that it was the same door she had quickly passed by the last two nights. Her subconscious mind pushing her to do the right thing just as incessantly as her conscious one. She shook her head and tried to deny the decision that everything in her knew she _should_ make.

A tremor in her hand made her fingers twitch as she took a step back, fighting to not rap the ancient wood. Her whole entire being screamed out to knock and end her torment but she took another deliberate step back. The icy trickle of fear in her veins chased away the dull ache and warned of why she had avoided making this choice already.

Harry... _Reckless_... Draco... _Dangerous_... Ginny... D _amnation_... Ron... _Suffering_... Draco... _Unsafe_... _Draco_... _Death_...

Scrambling under the weight, she turned to run away...

And almost ran directly into the owner of the door, who quickly reached out and grabbed her arm before exclaiming. "Why! I never... Hermione Granger?!"

She looked up into shadowed face of Professor McGonagall and let out a shuddered breath. Feeling faint, she grasped the arm that older witch held her with for support. Her voice quivered, barely making it above a whisper. "I... I need..."

"What is it? Are you hurt?" McGonagall asked her. Quickly evaluating her physical condition, the woman's eyes only widened once settling on hers. It was apparent by the reaction that Hermione's inward frantic mayhem had finally broken free.

"No." The answer was the truth, at least in the sense that the teacher was seeking.

Realizing she was in no shape to be interrogated in the hallway, McGonagall gently guided her forward and opened the door. Coaxing her into the small antechamber that served as the woman's office. It was cozy and reminded her of the Gryffindor common room.

Taking slow deep breaths in an attempt to keep her world from spinning, Hermione followed dutifully and sat in the highback chair that she was brought to. Next to the low fire it offered a more informal feeling to her startling late night appearance than the conventionally used hard wooden chair situated in front of the deliberately authoritative looking desk. Her eyes ran over some of the more personal items she had never given much notice to the other times she had need to visit.

There were no photographs, wizarding or otherwise, but the well loved things could be found sporadically on the carefully organized bookshelves that framed the fireplace. A vase with dried flowers. A small handcrafted tabby cat figurine. A tiffany style antique mantle clock. A small section of classic muggle literature. Each object a testament and story to the hidden nostalgic side of the usually severe Head of House.

And none of it was able to distract for her long enough to gain control... Her gaze was desperate as ot shifted quickly around the room, finally the older witch knelt and grabbed her chin forcing her look her in the eye before asking. "Are you absolutely certain that you have not been hurt, Miss Granger?"

"No... I mean, yes! I am certain." She stammered.

"And you are sure no one else has been either?"

"No one else is hurt." She verified. Thankful when the tight grip on her chin was lifted but the witch didn't look away. Giving her the focal point she needed to continue her slow uneasy breathing.

"Then what is it that you need?"

Hermione took one last breath before looking down at the ground in defeat and admitting what she had known almost two week ago...

"I need to... I need to speak with Professor Dumbledore..."

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 _Sooooo... What do you think? Is our girl going to actually go through with it and admit everything to Dumbldore? If she does how is he going to react? You know the drill! Let me know what you think down below!_

 _Hope everyone is having an amazing day/night!_

 _As always..._

 _Much love,_  
 _SlytherclawLuv_


	58. Chapter Fifty-Seven

After shakily convincing the witch that what she had to say couldn't wait, they had made their way along the trek to the Headmaster's chamber in silence. Professor McGonagall would look out of the corner of her eye at her, making sure that she wasn't going to suddenly go down following the witnessed momentary breakdown. She hadn't, stronger than she thought she would be when facing her ruination.

The witch had left her in the protected alcove outside of Dumbledore's office when she had slipped quietly inside. Seconds seemed to stretch into hours as she stood frozen, wishing she could take it back and be in bed trying to sleep instead. Eventually she heard the standard sounds of occupancy from the other side of the door and their muffled conversation reached her ears.

"And you have no inkling to the cause of her need for this nocturnal visit, Minerva?"

"No, but she was quite adamant she had just cause..."

"Hmmmm..."

"Be careful with her Albus, I think she might be cracking."

"Noted and thank you for the warning. I will make sure to inform you of any prudent information."

His clear dismissal had Hermione quickly stepping away from the door so she didn't get caught eavesdropping. McGonagall stepped through and gestured for her to enter. "He is ready to speak to you."

"Thank you."

A lingering look of pity in the older witch's eye was the last thing she saw before she stepped into the cluttered office. Her heart started to race so fast that she thought it would burst as she inched her way into the room she had never entered alone. Her earlier dizziness returning as she tried to take stock of her surroundings.

Every single one of the portraits that covered the walls was pretending to be asleep. Some better than others at the ruse. The ceiling height shelves behind the ornate desk filled with a variety of books that had been banned from the library over the years and a wide array of magical objects that spilled over into the rest of the quarters. While Minerva McGonagall's space had only hinted at her personality, these lodgings hid none of its owner's idiosyncrasies.

"Ah! Welcome Miss Granger!" Professor Dumbledore's voice rang out from a small nook to her left. He ambled into view. A teapot and two cups followed closely behind, floating in midair.

"Thank you, sir." Hermione inclined her head in a show of respect.

He slowly made his way over to his desk and sat down. The tea pot poured scalding hot liquid into both cups before settling onto a pile of precariously stacked books. One cup floated over and perched itself on the opposite side of the impromptu table waiting for her to pick it up. While the other landed near the wizard's hand which he promptly picked up and took a quick sip of its contents before giving her a kind smile. "Would you like to sit?"

Her nod was jerky and her palms were sweaty as she made her way over and stiffly sat on the edge of the chair closest to her.

For a moment the only noises in the room were both their breathing and the ruffle of Fawkes' feathers as he gave himself a disgruntled cleaning, even the portraits had stopped pretending to snore and mumble in their sleep. Dumbledore took the time to appraise her, clearly assessing McGonagall's counsel. He gave nothing away before motioning to the cup in front of her. "A special blend made by Professor Sprout and Madame Pomfrey that I have found to help soothe the nerves without overmedicating."

She openly eyed the tea hesitantly and immediately realized how rude it would be for her to decline the offer. Especially considering the time of her impromptu request... Her hand shook as she reached out and grabbed the cup, taking her time to bring it to her lips so she wouldn't spill.

The distinct floral scent hit her nose and quickly followed onto her tongue, reminding her of walking into a plume of perfume with her mouth open. Her features turned up in an involuntary wince as she placed the cup back and resumed perching on the chair silently.

"It does take some getting used to, I am afraid."

His clear amusement at her reaction was slightly off-putting but the thought was banished from her mind as whatever potent ingredient inside the tea took nearly instantaneous affect. She felt as her shoulders started to relax and the tremble in her hands stilled and yet there was none of the deadening of her reflexes and emotions that she so hated with the potions given to her. Yes, it was unexpectedly pleasant to be able to think without being hindered by the physical influence caused by her anxiety.

"Thank you." Hermione whispered, for the first time in close to a year feeling like the her before their ill-advised romp into the bowels of the Ministry.

"Of course." Dumbledore bowed his head in acknowledgement and then leaned forward, clasping his healthy hand over the gnarled version that peaked from his robes. A subdued effort to shield the obviously cursed appendage from her view. "Now, if you do not mind I will be throwing all manners out the window, taking into consideration the late hour... What has brought you to my office this evening, erm... early in the morning?"

"I have... I have something I need to tell you." She hedged. Now that the moment of confession had come she didn't know how to actually get the words to form. Even without her normal bodily responses to such complex stress, everything in her shied away from speaking the truth out loud.

The much older wizard interrupted her by sighing. His shoulders rose and fell heavily, betraying the eternally optimistic façade he typically exuded. For a short second she could see his true age in the tired slope of his frame and she felt guilty for her intrusion but his stare found hers and he spoke openly. "If you are here to formally recognize your relationship with Mr. Malfoy, Miss Granger, I am regretful to have to inform you- that ship has sailed like a lonely hippogriff in the night."

"Wha...? H... _How?_ " Her brain was barely able to articulate the simplest of her numerous questions as she tried desperately to play catch up to the new set of rules she hadn't known they were playing by.

"There is very little that happens within these walls that I do not know about." His reply was unpretentious, as if it was a statement of fact instead of his own admission that bordered on the lines of invasion of privacy against all of the students that attended the school.

She knew she was blatantly tempting Fate but without the customary fear inducing hormones to warn her not to, she asked her question anyway. "Why havn't you tried to stop us?"

His bright and astute eyes analyzed her reaction. Feeling her out, much the same way Draco always did when he was apprehensive on how to proceed. He seemed to decide to give her a lengthy answer because he relaxed back into his chair and started. "Immediately after becoming a professor here it was made quite clear to me that allowing students the freedom to make their own choices was just as important as educating them. Giving each of you who pass through these doors a safe environment in which to grow and learn the politics of the wizarding world is vital. Maybe even more so for your generation..."

It took a moment for her to work over his impersonal explanation and in the end she wasn't able to connect how any of it had bearing on their unique circumstance. And she called him on it, needing to know she could trust him before crossing the line and fully betraying Draco's confidences. "That is all fine and well but I still do not understand..."

"The thought did cross my mind to attempt to dissuade you from your current course with Mr. Malfoy when I first caught wind of it. Yet on reflection I knew there had to be a very good reason that you would continue on your path despite the risks."

A quick nod of concession at the obvious conclusion was all she gave him.

"The only plausible scenario was that..." A soft smile lifted the corners of his beard and soften his eyes before the old man continued. "You have the same hope in him that I do, Miss Granger."

His admission caused her eyebrows to raise but she kept herself quiet and gave another nod of recognition, still unsure.

"There truly is an overwhelming amount of potential inside of him. Isn't there?" After a few seconds in which they both held the others' gazes, ruminating over their own inner thoughts on the matter, he nodded. " _Oh yes_... Quick witted with an attentive eye for detail and no qualms on doing whatever it takes to get what he wants... He could sweet talk a nundu, only to impurse it to do his bidding. It is no wonder why Voldemort is testing his allegiance this year. He will undoubtedly end up being of immeasurable value to whichever side he ends up choosing."

As each word of his true motives fell around her she felt the first inklings of the tea starting to wear off as a faint heat fled up into her cheeks. The realization that Dumbledore, the person she had believed to always do what was right above all else, was using her as bait... An unwitting temptation to lure Draco to the opposing side...

Theodore Nott _had_ been partially correct and she hadn't known it!

She let a loaded silence spread between them as she came to terms with the truth. The wizened wizard had known about them for some time and saw a vast opportunity for knowledge on the daily inner workings of one of Voldemort's strongholds in Draco Malfoy. Something Snape- in all of his standing- wasn't able to offer. And he thought _she_ was the key...

"Yes, he will be." Hermione finally conceded, knowing she had to play nice because any hope she had of helping the boy they spoke about laid in their headmaster's hands. Even if she no longer unwaveringly trusted him.

"Which leads me to wonder what exactly it is that has come up with Mr. Malfoy that you felt the risk of coming to me outweighed any perceived consequences..."

"V...Voldemort is threatening Narcissa Malfoy's wellbeing." She stumbled over the beginning of her confession. Unable to shake the feeling of misgiving that slipped into her stomach.

This time it was Dumbledore who took a moment to consider her revelation, allowing himself another sip from the tea. Eventually he shook his head slowly, clucking in disappointment before responding. "That is regrettable news, Miss Granger."

A full minute passed for the realization that his words had been a veiled dismissal to finally sink in. Her disgust morphed into full blown deep seated anger. She had trusted him do something. _Anything!_

"What do you think I can do for the poor woman? Am I supposed to rally the troops and attack a well fortified literal fortress, Miss Granger? Do you really think it advisable for me to send some of our friends to their certain deaths for an enemy? One that we cannot guarantee will accept the help?"

She opened her mouth to respond but quickly snapped her jaw shut on the rebuttal. When it was plainly spelled out for her like that... Anything was much too high a price to ask someone to pay and selfishly that was _exactly_ what she had wanted.

"I do apologize that I cannot make that sacrifice for Mrs. Malfoy, but as it presently stands The Orders involvement in a rescue for her is non negotiable!" The formidable man behind the desk leaned forward to make sure he had her full attention before he continued. "Now if Mr. Malfoy could help set up the mission with his mother's blessing that would up the odds of success considerably..."

The implication in his proposal was clear. He would only help if Draco came to him willingly. The young wizard would have to voluntarily sign up, not just himself but his mother, to be used for information in exchange for an even more uncertain and treacherous future. One in which they might not ever be trusted by either side ever again.

"I don't know if I could convince him that _you_ would be willing to help them in the first place." Hermione told him honestly. She took a deep breath and sigh before mumbling under her breath. "Not that I have the option to attempt anymore anyways..."

"And why not?"

Startled by the proof that the headmaster didn't really know everything she blurted out without thinking. "Well... Harry has both Kreacher and Dobby following Draco. From what I understand they have been trailing him since the last Quidditch match. Poor things looked quite out of sorts the last time I saw them give Harry an update. Neither had been sleeping, you see..."

A chill filled her stomach when she saw the momentary anger flash in Dumbledore's eyes and she wondered how much trouble she had gotten Harry in. The flame was quickly squashed and it was his turn sigh heavily. "Harry seems to have an odd propensity to obsess over things that do not matter for him in the grand scheme of things. All while ignoring those of the utmost importance."

She resorted back to the safe response of nodding and leaned back in her chair. Worried she would unwillingly say something to make things worse.

"Which has everything yet little to do with _your_ conundrum. Doesn't it, Miss Granger." He declared before tutting and then standing. He made his way over to an innocuous wardrobe that blended in amongst the rest of the office's decor and pulled out an even more innocuous looking cloak. In a flourish the old man brought it over and laid it across her lap, as if being able to actually do something for her brought him some added energy. "Not much of a show-er, of course, but it will keep you from the prying eyes you wish to avoid."

Her chuckle at the convenience that he would have just what she needed a few feet away was stopped short as her eyes flicked quickly around the room. Coming to a stop on the owner once again, she realized she could never forget who she was dealing with. The venerable wizard was prepared for any possibility. He had to be, given the responsibilities on his shoulders.

"Thank you!" She said in a respectful tone that she hoped matched the gratitude she felt towards the bequeathal. In no way did she have to like the fact that he was using her for his own motivations, but without the gift there was little chance of her or Draco figuring out a way to continue their arrangement.

"Just like the last cloak to pass from my hands, I do hope that you use it well."

A smile threatened to lift the corners of her mouth but she stifled it and ran her hands over the woolen fabric in her lap. The things that those in control could condone under ambiguous circumstances were... _Peculiar_ to say the least, considering the headmaster had to know they were not only having pleasant conversations during their trysts. She decided to go with something much more inoffensive when she opened her mouth. "I will."

"Good. Sadly, unless there is something more you would like to discuss, you will have to forgive my impoliteness once again, but I do have other things that require my attention... Now that I am awake." The headmaster's blue eyes twinkled at the gentle ribbing.

"Of course, sir. I do apologize for my rudeness. I just..." Her sentence trailed off as any excuse she had seemed crude against the truth.

"Couldn't hold it in any longer?" He suggested gently.

" _Yes_..."

"I, for one, am glad there are no lies between us now. You are free to ask for help when you need it and I am able to offer as much of it as I can when the situation allows." Dumbledore told her, indicating the cloak in her lap.

She nodded and quickly stood, uncomfortable with the direction the conversation was headed considering what she had learned about one of her idols. For the first time since before Christmas the lie fell easily from her lips and she didn't feel guilty as a smile lifted her lips. "Thank you again. I will."

"I have faith in _both_ of you, Miss Granger." When she didn't respond- frozen by the unexpected pressure his accolade evoked, he reached out and patted her arm reassuringly before dismissing her. "Good night."

"Good Night." She barely whispered, keeping her eyes on the ground as she gripped the cloak tight. Suddenly afraid again, she turned and fled the office and the lasting impression his departure left on her.

How was it possible to have true faith in another person anymore? They had all been corrupted by the darkness that had invaded their world. Turning even the most respectable into monsters who had no issue using children like chess pieces in their game of war.

The real and unanswerable question was...

How did you fight against it when only one side offered your hopeful salvation...?

 **-\?/- -\?/- -\?/- -\?/- -\?/-**

 _Soooooooo! What did you think?! You know what I want! Let me pick your brain!_

 _And while you are at it keep up the song suggestions... I know it has been a while since I have asked but leave some (from any time period but extra points for anything before the mid-90s) that you think Draco or Hermione would listen to but I would be mighty appreciative. A preemptive thank you to those that do!_

 _Anyways, I hope you enjoyed!_

 _As Always..._

 _Much love,_  
 _SlytherclawLuv_


	59. Chapter Fifty-Eight

She sat on her bed the next morning staring down at the locket that was nestled between her breasts. Everything in her screamed out to pick it up and let Draco know the good news. And yet... She could not completely shake the price following through would cost the both of them.

It would become her responsibility to lure Draco over their side. To become exactly what she had been accused of. A treacherous conspirator in an attempt to save him from himself, even after she had agreed to let him figure out. And if she succeeded he would become a turncoat, his use relegated to informant.

Was being together worth losing some of the most integral parts of themselves? And if it was, how could she look him in the eye without telling him the truth when all it would do is push him away? Did she have the strength to lie to the one person she'd had been able to be completely honest with?

Pulling the ornamental case from its resting place, she watched as the tiny diamonds sparkled in the candlelight. Giving off the same impression of innocence that she did. But she knew the truth... She was the same selfish fallen angel from the last four months who did what she wanted regardless of the ramifications. The one who had been willing to lose everything for the boy.

Hermione pressed the small clasp on the side and the top popped open, waiting for her message...

Her hand shook as she pressed the tip of her want to the silver, imprinting what she wanted it to say.

 _Sat. at midnight_

After a few minutes with no response she got up and finished getting dressed for the day. It wasn't until she was reaching down to grab her bag that metal heated her skin.

 _What? How?_

A smirk lifted her lips as she sent her taunting reply.

 _Magic..._

Choosing to ignore the almost instant and doubtlessly crude answer, she hitched her bag onto her shoulder and started down for breakfast.

 **-\/- -\/- -\/- -\/- -\/-**

"How can they keep expecting us to act like none of this is happening?" Ginny fumed as she threw the newspaper back at her with a tad too much force.

"They expect us to continue to arm ourselves so we can handle what is happening!" Harry told her, his hand hesitating in the air above her shoulder. Unsure if it was okay to soothe her outburst or not. The girl's responding glare had it quickly disappearing at his side.

She had to fight back the smirk that wanted to make its way across her face as she rolled up the offending source of anguish and tossed it into her bag. Taking one for the team she pulled the anger onto herself. "He is right you know..."

"No... They keep us cooped up here so we are " _safe_ " but let everyone else fend for themselves. We should be being trained to help!"

It seemed as if every morning they all held their breaths, full of anxiety until they found out who was the latest target and just how deep the wounds would go. And this morning had been particularly rough... A family of five, with a newborn baby, had been added to the list of victims meant to send a message.

"That is not their jobs, Ginny... I get it. I really do, but sending a bunch of teenagers into battle is only going to add numbers to the dead en masse." Hermione tried rationalizing with her. "Not all of us were able to get tutoring from Harry..."

"Exactly my point! They should be concentrating on expanding Dumbledore's Army instead of having us waste half a year catching up because of Umbridge's ineptitude."

She tried breaking the tension with a joke. "So you pretty much want Harry to put his education on hold so he can teach DADA?"

"I didn't say that!"

"You kind of did." Ron interjected, willing to take some of his sister's heat until she burned herself out and apologized.

" _Shut up Ronald!_ No one asked for you stupid opinion." The girl's cheeks flamed a dangerous color of red, indicating just how angry she was.

"No one asked for yours either." He snapped back.

Ginny surprised them all when she burst into tears rather than attack. She jumped up and fled from table. Hermione quickly followed after her, weaving between students to keep up with the frantic pace. At the entrance way she was forced to take a hard right to avoid running into a group of Fourth Years and almost ran directly into someone. Trying to prevent the full on collision, she sidestepped again, her shoulder brushing against theirs.

"Sorry." The words came automatically before she even had the time to look up and see who she was speaking to. Intent on getting to Ginny as quickly as possible her glance was meant to be fleeting but immediately tried to root her place, making her stumble over her own two feet as they fought on what to do.

Draco stood there, his cold hard mask firmly in place from the audience surrounding them. However that wasn't the cause of her uncertainty to continue after her friend... This was the first time that she was within such a close proximity to him since the night in the bathroom and it was painfully apparent that his stress was eating away at him, making him sick.

The dark sunken circles under his eyes made it look like her had been sucker-punched. Twice. All color was washed from his features making him look like a stand-in from some 80s zombie movie. Both alarming signs at how long it must have been since he had slept last.

An uncomfortably hushed silence fell over those closest to them, waiting for the confrontation. Her mouth automatically said the required words. "Get out of my way."

"Or what? Is the big and bad mongrel going to make me?" For just a second an apology flashed in flat gray eyes but was quickly squashed down with a hard smirk.

"Go to hell, Malfoy." She snapped, her jaw clenching so she wouldn't say what she actually wanted to.

"Already there." He said with a roll of his eyes before turning away, ending the charade and freeing her to continue after Ginny.

Which she promptly did, tracking her down in the nearest girl's bathroom. When she entered the girl was sitting on the floor underneath the line of windows that allowed the morning sunlight to brighten the shadowed corners, giving off a false air of cheerfulness to the otherwise distressing scene.

She made her way over and sat down next to her. Not saying anything there was an unspoken confirmation that she would be there when she was ready to talk. Ginny sniffled and stubbornly glared at a particular tile that she had found fault with, but it didn't end up taking long before a loaded sigh fell and she whispered. "I'm sorry..."

"I know."

"I... I just... They are killing babies! _Babies_ , Hermione!" A new round of sobs racked her thin frame as she hid her face against the knees she had brought to her chest.

The air was sucked from Hermione's lungs as she reached over and wrapped an arm around the trembling shoulders of the friend who rarely showed this side of herself. " _Shhhhhhh..._ I know."

"How are we supposed to act like that isn't happening?"

"We are not supposed to act like these barbaric crimes are not happening, Ginny." She said. Not fully believing the words herself even as they crossed her lips.

Ginny finally lifted her head and stared her in the eye, the spark of her challenge mixed with tears caused her brown eyes to shine. "Then what _are_ we supposed to be doing?"

"We are..." She trailed off, trying to find the right combination of words to appease the boiling anger inside of the other witch. "We are supposed to have faith. Faith that Dumbledore and The Order know what they are doing and that we will see a day when justice is dispensed for the victims."

It felt like a thick poison had coated the inside of her mouth, considering how her own faith was wavering but there was no reason to spread her doubt of their Headmaster. Not when it was so desperately needed for the fight ahead... She swallowed hard and gave Ginny a gentle squeeze. "It is going to be okay. Maybe not tomorrow... Or next year... Or a decade from now. But one day it will be okay."

"The same one day that justice is dispensed?"

"Maybe..."

"Well... I cannot wait for the day every single one of those beasts are given the same judgment they have sentenced on others." Ginny's anger flared again, until it consumed any resemblance to the young girl Hermione had met so many years ago.

"Don't... Don't say that, Ginny. We are better than them."

The girl's next skeptical words chilled her to the bone and had her scrambling. " _Are we_ _really_?"

"I hope so." She answered honestly before rubbing Ginny's shoulder. "Come on. Let's get you cleaned up and go have some breakfast. Everything looks much more optimistic after some sustenance. Especially the caffeinated kind..."

A deadpan stare was the only response she got but there was no argument when she stood and helped the redhead up. She ushered her over to a faucet and turned it on, righting the temperature before stepping back so Ginny had enough space to wash. With one crisis taken care of, her attention shifted to the next.

"I will right back." She said as she quickly locked herself in the closest stall. Pulling the necklace from the confines of her white button-up, she sat on the toilet to make her farce believable and sent a straightforward one word request.

 _Eat_

Not having the luxury to sit and wait for a reply, she snaked the locket back into its concealment and rejoined Ginny at the sinks. After washing her hands she turned to the girl who was standing there staring at herself in the mirror. "You ready?"

"Yeah, yeah." Ginny's eyes flicked to hers in their reflection. "Thanks."

"Anytime." She reached over and laced their fingers together. "Now, how about we load up on carbohydrates to make ourselves feel better?"

A quick sad smile that slowly morphed into a real one told her that she was forgiven. "That sounds like the best plan you have come up with in a long time!"

 **-\/- -\/- -\/- -\/- -\/-**

Over breakfast, it didn't take long for the somber mood to lift when they returned to the table. Between the pick up from the sugary sweetness provided by massive amounts of pancakes and the boys' efforts at keeping the conversation light, Ginny was back to her normal bantering self. Slinging playful insults with her brother and prodding Lavender on a salacious rumor about her favorite singer that had turned out to be true.

Anyone who looked on their group would think that everything was perfectly normal and the scene for earlier had never happened... Except for the fact that Hermione's eyes kept involuntarily flicking from her watchful eye on Ginny to the Slytherin table, checking to see if he was going to follow her advice. Each time her attention wandered he was playing with the food on his plate instead of actually eating it, engaged in what looked like a heated discussion with his own little group of friends. When he left she hadn't seen him take a single bite.

The same routine happened throughout lunch- other than her anxious glances morphed into outright glares as her instruction was ignored. His blatant disregard for his health had her seeing red. Did the sacrifices of others to keep him alive and well mean so little to him?!

Her knee started to bounce as she fought with herself to stay seated instead of running off so she could send another message. There was no purpose in nagging... At least not until she could do so face to face on Saturday. He wouldn't be able to ignore her then.

"Wait! Muggles don't really believe that do they?" Lavender's maddening tone brought her back to the conversation.

"The children do." Dean explained from his spot nestled up next to Ginny.

Lavender shook her head while Parvarti voiced their mutual disbelief. "Wow!"

"You have to remember there has to be an excuse for the presents being hidden."

"So the parents explain it away with a _giant bunny_?" Lavender asked incredulously. Obviously thinking Dean was taking advantage of her lack of muggle knowledge.

Biting back her retort that the practice was based on ancient traditions that dated back to when the Mesopotamian Gods were worshipped, Hermione's gaze once again flitted over to her more prominent vexation. Who sat there staring off at something only he could see, completely absorbed, it was as if there weren't hundreds of voices echoing all around him.

"That sounds like a lot of work to get none of the credit." Ginny cut in.

"They have to make the holiday magical for their children somehow, right?" A defensive edge snuck into Dean question, having been raised solely by a muggle mother. "It's not like they can charm an Easter Egg to hatch doves or whatever else..."

She risked another peek out of the corner of her eye and was caught off guard when her stare unexpectedly found his. He didn't look away from her brazen study but there wasn't much to read in the fixed mask.

"True..." Lavender conceded. "Being a muggle parent sounds like a pretty thankless job, if you ask me. They do all this work for different holidays and the good stuff always comes from some imaginary being."

Hermione ended up being the one to break their tense standoff by looking down at the empty plate in front of him for a second. His eyebrow rose slightly but he gave no other indication that he understood the overt message she was trying to send.

"I... I guess." Dean shrugged, the movement instinctively caused her attention to drift back to the group surrounding her.

" _Aye_ , but they do it for the love." Seamus acknowledged.

The smile that started to lift her lips was quickly squashed by the look on Harry's face. A heavy reminder that not every child had guardians that cared much less loved them. She was grateful that he was able to go to The Burrow this year for break instead of staying on so he could avoid the ugliness in the Dursley's home.

"Could you imagine any other reason you'd be willin' to wake up before dawn to stick sweets into odd places just so your screamin' imps can find them later?" Ron asked with a shake of his head.

Suddenly the world exploded in a rain of red and white and shrieks of terror. And for a moment she thought the impossible had happened, her hand even twitching to her wand...

Her eyes automatically flashed to each face at their section of table, checking for who had been wounded but found they had been covered in a splattering of fruit pudding and cream. Everyone but her jumped up. Lavender and Parvarti still shrieking their dismay as globs of the sticky dessert fell from their hair. Ginny and the boys on the other hand all reached into the pockets of their robes, ready to hex the culprit.

Within seconds the rest of the room picked up on what had happened and erupted in a deafening mixture of laughter and screams. The teachers, that had previously been seated at the front of the room enjoying a calm meal, quickly stood to better assess the situation but it was McGonagall's voice that rang out over the chaos. " _THAT IS QUITE ENOUGH!_ "

Instantaneously every single student settled down and stared up at the serve witch who glared out at each table in turn. Her gaze falling on random students who dared to move, when she was satisfied that she had everyone's attention she finally spoke again. "Who threw that?"

Of course no one answered. All of them sat there silently staring up at her. Harry, Ron, Dean, Seamus Ginny and randomly- a clean Neville; stood still as statues. Their wands pointed at an unknown opponent.

"As Deputized Headmistress when Professor Dumbledore is away, like tonight, I will ask one more time. _Who threw that_?"

The echoing silence hung in the air making it hard to breath from the thick tension.

"Hundreds of eyes and not a single pair saw something? That is regrettable." Professor McGongall said, her disappointment evident as she continued. "Unfortunately someone did in fact throw an..."

With a few flourishes of his wand, Professor Flitwick nonverbally cast a hovering charm. Once the offending object was a few feet in the air he quickly followed with a silent Scourgify causing the mixture of cream, berries and bread to disappear...

"An... apple." The tiny wizard squeaked, even though everyone in the room could see the glistening green fruit.

"Yes, thank you. An apple at the Gryffindor table." McGonagall reiterated. "And until one of you come forward to tell me who, there will be no extracurricular activities. Everyone will report to their common rooms after dinner. The only exceptions are those of you who have express permission from your Head of House that says otherwise."

The murmur of displeasure at her proclamation quickly threatened to become outright shouts, so she raised her for silence and continued. "I understand that this may seem harsh but what if this inappropriate prank had gone wrong and it was hot soup that the apple had landed in? What if those innocuous berry stains were burns? No, I refuse to have another student harmed, particularly while you all are under my watch. I will make sure the suitable consequences are dispensed. Is that clear?"

Her uncharacteristic show of emotion affected the crowd more than the punishment. The witch took a deep breath before addressing the section of Gryffindor House that had been hit and then the room at large. "Lower your wands and go get cleaned up. The rest of you will finish your meals and go to your next class. Remember that my door is always open..."

After another long look around the room she walked down the aisle between tables and right out the open doors. As soon as the professor disappeared from view the crowd broke out in pandemonium. Some throwing out names of the possible delinquent while others complained of the unfairness.

Hermione slowly stood, grabbed her bag and joined her sullied group of friends before they all made their way out of the dining room with their heads held high. An attempt at a bravado she wasn't sure they all felt with everyone's eyes on them, following each movement of their advancement.

It didn't take long for other students to start to shadow them. A large swarm filed into the entrance hall, grudgingly listening to the instructions given and heading off to their next destinations for the day. No matter the level of dissent, there was no use in aggravating the staff further and they all knew it.

Halfway up the stairs she felt the unmistakable chill that raised the hair on her arms, an intuitive warning that someone was watching her... Closely.

She stopped climbing and looked over her shoulder, scanning the steady stream of bodies for the ogler. Even standing there covered in mess, she was mostly ignored... Except for the random annoyed glance at her unexpected halt, none of the students looked her way.

Until her gaze fell on the twinkling amusement reflected in the well known swirling depths of gray. Of course it was _him_... Leaned casually against the wall, he reached into the pocket of his robe as a titillating smirk flashed on his lips. Quirking his eyebrow in challenge, he brought out a bright green apple and took a large bite.

Her jaw clenched at the implication but she was able to keep any other tell from showing her indignation. At least he was eating...

"What are you looking at Hermione?" Ginny called from a few steps up.

"Nothing!" She answered, turning away and quickly joining her.

"You sure?" The girl asked, glaring at the blonde head that quickly disappeared down the corridor that led to the dungeons.

"Just Malfoy being creepy Malfoy. Let's go." She said dismissively, starting the climb up Gryffindor Tower again.

Ginny followed quietly, lost in her own thoughts for a long stretch of time before blurting out. "I think Harry is right and he is up to something, Hermione. Shifty little ferret that he is..."

Unable to contradict the obvious, she nodded and shrugged. Not wanting to argue with her again she went with a joke. "Good thing Harry is on the case then, huh?"

"Mhm."

A relaxed silence settled around them as they continued on their hike, allowing them both plenty of time to contemplate the same snake...

For her, more specifically on what the hell he had been thinking...?!


	60. Chapter Fifty-Nine

It was stuffy under her new cloak... Being made from a thicker material than Harry's was not something that she had accounted for when getting ready that night and she was paying the price. Sweat pooled above her brow and to distract herself from how uncomfortable she was she went over the last couple days in her head. Trying to work out how in less than a week she had gone from asking for help in the Headmaster's office to standing around impatiently waiting the night before the beginning of Easter Holiday.

Her life seemed to have been split into two speeds since December. One was filled with long agonizing purgatories where she was left in limbo, feeling like she was dangling over a pit waiting... Always waiting for whatever was next. And then there were the moments that flashed by so quickly she was afraid if she blinked too long she would miss them entirely. Not all of them centered around who she was waiting for but enough of them did that it was alarming.

According to her parents it was supposed to be the other way around. They were always complaining about how fast time slipped by. That one second her mother had just found out they were expecting her and in the next she was a fully formed adult, a year away from graduating. Or how it felt like only yesterday that they had met, reciting every other cliched remembrance parental figures liked to use when looking back on their lives.

According to the whispered giggles in the girl's bathroom it was a normal reaction when waiting for the next ardent meet up. A natural phenomenon that happened when raging hormones came into play. Who could concentrate on things like classes, eating or sleeping when there was much more carnal desires to be fulfilled?

According to her... She had to be batshit and desperate to be letting them get caught up in Dumbledore's plans the way she was...

Unfortunately, it was the only path available that allowed her to sedate her worry on if he was okay. Not just in the coming days but in the times ahead when he felt like cracking under whatever it was that Voldemort asked of him. She couldn't stand the thought of him going through the torment from the other night alone and deliberately tried to ignore the evidence that it was a scene he had already replayed. Multiple times.

The last three days had been exceptionally hellish as she attempted to wade through fact and fiction when it came to what had happened during the hours following his provoking stunt. Everything from McGonagall finding out from a scared student and tracking him down in a fit of screaming hexing rage to Draco walking in to her office and cockily confessing had reached her ears. Both equally improbable.

No matter how it had come about, by dinner Slytherin was missing seventy-five points and he hadn't made an appearance in public since. Of course this generated the perfect storm for the more outlandish of rumors to gain traction (there was no universe in which the Head of Gryffindor House would transfigure a student into a warthog) leaving her number of facts to one…

He hadn't been expelled considering late that night, just before she had been about to fall asleep, the locket had heated against her breast.

 _Sunday midnight_

It was a small relief that he was allowed to stay on until the start of break, even if it was spent in some kind of exile but not enough to end her anxiety. Any objection that was voiced on the severity of the punishment by his fellow Slytherins was quickly stifled when McGonagall held to her promise and reinstated life as usual. So she wasn't able to glean information from dissenting rumblings when he straight out refused to answer the questions she sent through the necklace. Payback for her taunting reply to his inquiry earlier in the week, no doubt.

A bead of sweat finally broke free and rolled down into her eyelashes causing her to blink rapidly to avoid the sting of it making it into her eye. She had not stood there silently baking to out herself by moving. Only the Gods knew who was in the hallway with her... Even the map didn't list house-elves.

As the minutes ticked by, she started to wonder if he hadn't been able to escape his incarceration and she was sweltering under the cloak for no reason. There was a sort of poetic justice in the gift that was supposed to allow her to be free to come and go as she pleased being a new type of suffocating penance. A trivial atonement for her ever-lengthening list of sins against those she cared about.

She bit down hard on her bottom lip to stop the laugh at the dramatic and grisly turn to her thoughts. Why couldn't she be grateful for the opportunity provided for her?

The unmistakable sound of shoe against stone reached her ears in the moonless hall, causing her to search the darkened shadows for the owner. Her eyes had long adjusted to the murkiness but it still took until the person was nearly on top of her to make out their features.

A trapped breath released from her lungs and she stepped forward so she could take in the guarded look he threw over his shoulder without him knowing. He looked better than he had since getting word of his mother's predicament. The signature dark sunken circles around his eyes had abated. Taking the wild look with them and leaving the controlled version of Draco to walk up to the small section of wall she had just been pressed against.

Hermione watched as his storm gray eyes flitted around behind him, searching in the wrong direction for where the sound of her exhale had come from. At an unexpected advantage she closed the inches between them with another step and leaned up, whispering faintly in his ear. " _Boo_."

His lips lifted into a smirk, but he didn't startle like she had anticipated. Without missing a beat, he stepped back and did the required procedure to call the door to his room into existence. Quickly going to open it, she had scramble to get out of the way so she wasn't knocked over in his haste. He jerked the door open and looked over his shoulder again, a mock showing of paranoia to give her time to slip inside.

Like always, the instant she stepped across the boundary and into the room, it was as if a soothing balm had been applied to her frayed nerves. The nearly constant heavy weight of her own mask lifting for a moment, allowing her to forget everything outside. She turned around, ready for some type of warm reunion.

What she got instead was his eyes seeing right through her as he checked over the room, reminding her of all the reasons she was invisible... She reached up and pulled the cloak from her shoulders, fighting with the guilt that was triggered as his questioning gaze fell onto her suddenly perceivable form.

"Ah... There you are." He said, smiling down at her as he walked over to where she stood. He took a chunk of the fabric in her hands between two fingers and lifted it up. "Magic..."

"Yes, magic." She replied with a nonchalant shrug of her shoulders.

"And how did you happen to get your paws on such an exemplary example?"

Another tug of guilt pulled deep in her stomach and her eyes fled from his, afraid he would catch the lie there. "A... A friend."

Draco continued to evaluate the pinched material as he asked mockingly. "So this _is_ Harry Potter's mythical invisibility cloak?"

"I didn't say that." She snapped at his patronizing tone. Her eyes narrowed at the ground and she turned away abruptly, causing him to release his grip on the cloak before she folded it up carefully. It was easier to let him draw his own conclusions than tell him outright falsehoods.

"You didn't need to." He sang tauntingly as she walked over and placed the gift over the back of the nearest chair. "Unless all of your friends have access to such rare objects?"

Her eyebrow rose in challenge as she finally made eye contact with him again, smoothing down the fabric under her hands. "Maybe they do."

He laughed openly. "So secretive."

"Says _you_..."

His smile slid into his characteristic smirk and he shrugged, not expounding on either of their observations. He let the silence stretch out between them, seemingly as comfortable with the quiet as with the playful teasing. The way he stared over at her, slowly taking in her appearance caused a blush to work its way up into her cheeks at her unkempt state.

Suddenly self-conscious. She broke their eye contact and ran her hand along the back of her neck, attempting to stop the sweat dampened curls from sticking to her skin. "So... What have you been up to? Havn't had the pleasure of seeing you around much lately."

"Oh you know... Sitting around my dorm, enduring my punishment like the gentleman I am."

"I am sure..." She pulled her hair over her shoulder which allowed the cooler air of the room to chill the layer of sweat on her neck and shoulder, sending shivers up and down her spine. "Was it worth it?"

The same amused gleam from after his stunt slid into his stare and he tilted his head to the side, pretending to think on her question before answering. "Definitely..."

"That is all that matters, I guess."

Draco's smirk deepened as he closed the space between them and reached up to brush a stray curl that she had missed. "Why would you say that?"

"Why wouldn't I? As long as you do not regret your choice in childish past times what else matters, right?" Irritation at her unwarranted concern breaking through in her tone.

"My childish past time ended up only hurting myself so I am unsure why anything else should matter." Her responding glare had him quickly continuing. "Unless you count the poor little house-elves who had to spend hours cleaning the extra stains out of your gang's clothing. I will have to remember to send them my apologies..."

"You really think you're some silver-tongued rake don't you?" She asked, her glare narrowing even further with her accusation.

"I think I had a momentary lapse in judgement." He answered stoically. All traces of joking fell from his features as he realized that she wasn't about to let up. "Which should be easily enough to pardon considering my self sacrifice..."

"Self sacrifice? So now I am supposed to be daft enough to believe the rumors that you turned yourself into McGonagall?"

"Is it that far out of character for me to discern my actions affected the whole school and that was wildly unfair?" His serious deadpan expression lifting when a smile twitched at his lips. "I might have to admit, to only you, that I did _not_ walk in to her office and tell her to 'Suck it' though..."

Unable to stop the laugh at one of the more ridiculous bits of gossip, she rolled her eyes. "Could you imagine?"

"I don't think anyone would ever be that foolish, Kitten."

"Hmmm… Are you sure? It's almost as foolish as throwing an apple across a crowded dining room in the first place..."

His eyes held her stare for a long moment before he sighed. "Would you like a personalized apology?"

"No... I would like you to recognize the fact that risking your place in the safety of this school is not worth a stupid rivalry prank, Draco! Or what about how it was… _Is_ unfair of you to leave me worried for days like you did!" Her voice started to rise as her tangent, triggered by his annoyance with her, went on. "Please tell me how it is acceptable that I figured out a way for us to meet again, while you pretty much ignored me for weeks and then managed to delay everything in favor of some R-and frickin'-R!"

Hermione knew that the last part was a lie but it was still strangely therapeutic to vent her built up emotions at someone. After trying so hard to keep the manic anxiety in check it flowed easily, heating her belly with the underlying anger she would randomly feel towards him. Towards Dumbledore. Towards Harry. Towards the World. But mostly towards herself.

" _GODS!_ I am so stupid, I can't believe..." She clenched her fist tightly, her nails digging into the fleshy skin of her palms. A desperate attempt for the pain to distract from her chaotic thoughts before she said too much. "I can't believe... I... I..."

Dumbfounded he stood there and took her outburst in stride, letting her rant until she couldn't continue coherently anymore. As she stood there stuttering under the words that wanted to come, he cupped her face in both his hands and brought his lips to hers. Effectively cutting her off, he moved his mouth against hers. Rough at first he only relented when she relaxed under his grip. "Are you ready to shut up and listen yet Granger?"

"No..." She murmured, thoroughly distracted by the fiery desire that replaced her intense anger.

His low chuckle sent another round of shivers down her spine before he stepped back far enough to look into her eyes. "That is too bad."

"Mmmmm... Is it?"

"Oh yes. I have something to say."

"Then say it."

"First off... I do apologize for you being worried. I should have known better than to think you wouldn't." He rolled his eyes. At himself or at her distress she wasn't certain but he quickly carried on. "You are right, my response to our latest hiccup was unacceptable. Would you formally forgive me?"

"That depends."

"On?"

"Why you decided ignoring me was the best course of action..."

"I was... Angry and afraid."

"Of?"

His shoulders lifted with a half-hearted shrug. " _Everything_..."

A smile settled onto her lips at his admission and quickly shifted into her own amused smirk causing him to ask the obvious question to such an inappropriate response. "What is so funny about that, pet?"

"I don't think you are afraid of the right things anymore, Draco."

"And what are the right things?"

"You shouldn't fear Harry, house-elves, Dumbledore, McGonagall, failure or even Voldemort." She said with a shake of her head. "Oh no, no, no... You pissed off _Ginny Weasley_."

His puzzled look caused her to giggle as he asked. "The Weaselette?!"

"Yes, she is gunning for you now and I highly doubt she will be as merciful as I am. And from what I understand she spent most of the summer holiday practicing hexes, by the sounds of it her Bat-Bogey is more potent than you would remember..."

The reminder of how Ginny had helped to overpower the Inquisitorial Squad the year prior caused his jaw to clench and eyes to narrow into a glare. He didn't say anything as he thought over the implications of her revelation.

She shook her head again before reaching up to pat his chest in mock reassurance and whispered. "Was it really worth it?"

When he still didn't answer she shrugged once more. "While you think on that I am going to shower..."

Hermione stepped around him and headed towards the bathroom. At the door she heard him mumble. "I am not afraid of a Weasley."

"Then you _are_ foolish." She said over her shoulder as she slipped into the room, intent on washing both the sweat and remnants of her out of control emotions from her body.

 **-\/- -\/- -\/- -\/- -\/-**

Deliberately she took her time, making one hundred percent sure that all traces of her negative state of mind were gone. She didn't want the rest of their time together to be tainted by the tumultuous spiraling of irritability that had been brewing inside of her since the beginning of March. Not when there were only hours left before they would be boarding the train and he would be sent back to his own personal hell.

So she wasted valuable minutes that could have been better spent convincing the boy to make sure he came back to her, under the relaxing spray of water. After each one of her muscles had loosened and she was confident she would be able to stay calm, she finished up and put her soiled uniform back on. Cursing the fact that the added bulk of her bag had made the cloak too short to cover her feet, leading her to have to leave her clean change of clothes.

The moment she returned to the bedroom her eyes darted around, searching for Draco. Expecting him to be lounging on the bed it was unanticipated when her first sweep showed the space to be empty. Her eyebrows came together in confusion, thinking he had left, but upon closer inspection she saw that his feet peeked out from where they were propped up lazily on the arm of the couch.

She smirked as she made her way to the other side of the room. Sure that he had to hear the sounds of her approach but was still pouting over her teasing, she was surprised when she looked down over the back of the couch and found Draco to be asleep.

A soft sigh left her lips but she made no additional noises as she turned away. Reluctant to wake him, even to have him move to the bed... She went over and set the time on the wind up alarm clock that had appeared on the side table before grabbing the heavy black blanket from the much more comfortable and spacious sleeping quarters.

Hermione walked back over to the couch and covered him before she slipped onto the small space left and curled into his side. His arm unconsciously wrapped around her, helping to keep her from sliding to the floor. All of her troubles seemed to melt away with him safe beside her and she closed her eyes. Letting herself drift towards her own slumber, a smile of contentment on her lips for the first time in weeks instead of the overwhelming fear of what her nightmares would bring.

The opportunity to worry would be waiting for her tomorrow...

 **-\?/- -\?/- -\?/- -\?/- -\?/-**

 _Quick Update Time!_

 _With all the excitement coming up over the next few weeks (Little Slytherclaw's Birthday is only a week after Christmas) I will be taking a a small break from posting until the first Friday of the New Year. I cannot guarantee that I will have the time to post on the 27th so I feel that it is better to delay that week's posting. I hope that you all understand!_

 _I do have a question for after the 3rd:_

 _Which do you prefer? The scheduled posts every Friday or random posts when I finish a chapter? I have done both in the past and y'all know me... Constantly wondering if I am doing this right/making my readers happy with everything from posting to content._

 _Happy Holidays to all!_

 _As always..._

 _Much love,_  
 _SlytherclawLuv_


	61. Chapter Sixty

The next morning Draco had spent time neither of them had continuously promising to find a way to let her know that he was okay over break. It took little persuasion on her part and if anything his act of contrition had seemed over the top, leaving her to wonder if it was sincere or not. Her suspicion was only reinforced as the days slowly went by and she heard nothing from him.

She wanted to reach out but her overthinking complicated things and got in her way. What was the best time to reach out? Did Death Eaters meet over breakfast? Afternoon tea? Or was it more likely to be in the cliched dead of night? Would her ill-timed questioning end up being their downfall?

Hermione knew it was highly unlikely that he would be touching someone at any given moment throughout the day (or night), but that didn't stop her hands from shaking every time she went to pick up her wand with the purpose of sending a quick message. Quickly prompting her to rush back to the security of the tattered book of fairy tales she had left untouched on her shelf for years prior. The well-loved pages were the only thing that she had found capable of keeping her interest for more than a few minutes at a time.

There was the ordinary solace she often found in being able to get lost in a story. Which was only made all the more engrossing with how she could figure out which spells or potions were needed to achieve each magical feat. She was halfway finished with the rather depressing story of Rapunzel when the sudden sound of beak tapping against glass broke her concentration.

An unfamiliar owl perched on the window box, waiting for her to come and receive its delivery. Its large yellow eyes stared in at her as she sat completely still... Dubious on if she could trust the origins of the unknown bird or not, it ruffled its dark brown feathers impatiently before pecking at her window once again.

When she did not move, it hooted loudly enough for her to hear through the barrier between them. Annoyed with her stalling it gave another hoot and started to incessantly rap at the glass. The grating sound quickly had her on her feet and rushing to open the window, worried the amount of noise would attract the prying eyes of her neighbors.

The owl nipped at her fingers as she tried to take the letter, only allowing her access once she had fed it an owl treat that she had reserved for visits from Hedwig or Pigwidgeon. After finally being placated with her meager payment and relieved of its delivery it hooted one last time in displeasure and flew away, leaving her to watch its ascent into the night sky.

She closed the window tightly, impulsively checking the shadowed corners in the garden before returning to her bed. Once comfortable she finally inspected the letter in her hands. The crisp white lines of the expensive envelope hinted at the sender before she had even turned it over. There were not many people with whom she regularly corresponded that cared enough to take their time when preparing a letter to be sent off. Normally their messages were scrawled on leftover pieces of parchment and sloppily shoved into an envelope in their haste.

Her hypothesis was confirmed when she flipped the envelope over and took in the neat script she had come to miss seeing in quickly scribbled notes left for her. A loaded sigh lifted her shoulders. She was grateful for the physical confirmation that he was alive and well enough to write to her, but also infuriated by his continued indifference to her requests for assurance. How could he claim to care when he had slipped into a nasty habit of breaking his promises?

For a long moment she imagined crumpling the paper and throwing it in the bin. The only thing that stopped her from fulfilling her vision was the chance that Draco could be reaching out for some type of help. If he had and she ignored the plea the guilt would undoubtedly eat her alive. So she opened up the envelope and pulled the luxuriously soft sheet of parchment from inside, rapidly scanning the meticulously penned text for the words she dreaded. When nothing jumped out as alarming she started a more thorough reading…

 _Dearest Princess,_

 _Forgive me of the transgressions against my honor bound vow!_

 _I can hear your well-deserved chastisement from here and I cannot blame you. Just know that while I find myself in the presence of such fellowship it seems sacrilegious to even think of your existence, muchless abide by the commitment I gave upon our parting. The hardest of tasks, I assure you, when everything threatens to remind me of the scowl I am sure is on your face as you read this._

 _Nevertheless I have found a much more ostentatious way to relay the message that I am fine. Bored to the point of tears, maybe, but fine nonetheless. So stop tormenting yourself like you surely are, alright? Your luck isn't high enough to be rid of me that easily, pet._

 _Oh no! I have made plans to infuriate you for as long as you will have me..._

 _It is unfortunate that I am unable to relish in the peculiar rush of adrenaline that evokes many a memory of our recklessly written notes and having to trust they would find their owner untouched. I never thought I would miss how your eyes lit up as you feverishly read the lewd musings of a young man's mind. Are your cheeks turning that brilliant shade of pink? Even now, removed from the constant cues of reminiscence on our times together in the castle? The egomaniac inside of me hopes so!_

 _Now that I have managed to complete my obligation I must return to helping make life and death decisions. Did you know that the world might stop spinning if my mother picks the wrong shade of light green linens for her Easter celebration this Sunday?_

 _I sure as hell didn't._

 _Having said that, I can only hope that you are following your own advice: Eat. Sleep. Take care of yourself. Stay safe. And most importantly- Come back to me in one piece._

 _Till we meet again,_  
 _An Enthralled Suitor_

 _P.S. My apologies must go out for the mangy beast delivering this. I should warn you that he is a bit... tenacious, but he was the only inconspicuous alternative that I could find under the unique circumstances._

Hermione's eyes roamed the page again, stopping on the most important bits.

Forgive me...  
I am fine...  
As long as you will have me...  
Come back to me...  
Till we meet again...

Somehow, buried between the lines of drivel that could be found in any romantic teenage correspondence, he knew the exact words she needed to hear. In the same way she knew that she should still be angry that he had ignored her request for days... He knew that his reassurances could not be summed up in a few words. At least not in a way that would legitimately placate her pathological concern.

Who could be easily comforted when their nemesis turned secret lover was having mint green themed luncheons with genocidal lunatics?


End file.
